The Last Of Us adds Pedro Pascal as Joel just after Bella Ramsey signs on as Ellie in the HBO limited series
Just hours after HBO casts Bella Ramsey as Ellie for The Last Of Us limited series adaptation, they have landed their Joel as well in Pedro Pascal.
The 45-year-old actor has signed on to play the iconic smuggler from the beloved Naughty Dog video game series, according to Deadline.
The role brings Pascal back to HBO, several years after his breakthrough role as Oberyn ‘The Red Viper’ Martell in Game of Thrones.
Joel role: Just hours after HBO casts Bella Ramsey as Ellie for The Last Of Us limited series adaptation, they have landed their Joel as well in Pedro Pascal
The game is set 20 years after a pandemic wiped out most of the world, centering on Ellie, who may be integral to curing the pandemic, and a smuggler named Joel.
Joel is, ‘tormented by past trauma and failure,’ as he treks across America in the midst of a raging pandemic to protect 14-year-old Ellie (Ramsey).
Joel is so protective of Ellie because she may be the key in finding a cure that could save the world as they know it.
Video game Joel: Joel is, ‘tormented by past trauma and failure,’ as he treks across America in the midst of a raging pandemic to protect 14-year-old Ellie (Ramsey)
The Last Of Us was a massive hit right out of the gate, selling a whopping 1.3 million units in its first weekend of release.
As of 2018, the game has sold over 17 million units, and is considered by many to be among the greatest video games of all time.
The game’s developer Naughty Dog released the highly-anticipated sequel The Last Of Us Part II in June 2020, which sold over 4 million units its first weekend.
Massive hit: The Last Of Us was a massive hit right out of the gate, selling a whopping 1.3 million units in its first weekend of release
Craig Mazin (Chernobyl) will write the series along with the game’s writer and creative director, Neil Druckmann.
Kantemir Balagov is directing the pilot episode, with Mazin and Druckmann executive producing.
Also executive producing is Carolyn Strauss, Naughty Dog’s Evan Wells, and Asad Qizilbash and Carter Swan of PlayStation Productions.
Recent roles: He is coming off his villainous role as Maxwell Lord in Wonder Woman 1984 and the Netflix kids adventure We Can Be Heroes, which both debuted on Christmas Day
Pascal currently stars on the wildly popular Disney Plus Star Wars series The Mandalorian, though he is expected to continue as the title character even after taking on this role.
He is coming off his villainous role as Maxwell Lord in Wonder Woman 1984 and the Netflix kids adventure We Can Be Heroes, which both debuted on Christmas Day.
The Chilean-born actor will next be seen alongside Nicolas Cage and Tiffany Haddish in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, debuting March 19.
Mando: Pascal currently stars on the wildly popular Disney Plus Star Wars series The Mandalorian, though he is expected to continue as the title character even after taking on this role