Ah, there it is: Just a few hours after dropping the news that Game Of Thrones co-star star Bella Ramsey would be starring as half of the central duo at the heart of its TV adaptation of video game sensation The Last Of Us, HBO has now dropped the identity of the other half of the equation…played, as it turns out, by Game Of Thrones co-star Pedro Pascal.
Specifically, Pascal will play Joel Miller, the grieving father and grizzled survivor who players control through most of 2013's The Last Of Us, guiding his young charge Ellie across a United States ravaged by a zombie-like disease. Voiced by Troy Baker in the games, Joel has quite a bit in common with Pascal’s other big character of the moment, The Mandalorian’s Din Djarin, in that both are surrogate dads who eventually become fiercely, sometimes homicidally protective of their adoptive charges.
It’s not clear yet what The Last Of Us, which already has a green light from HBO, under the writing and production aegis of Chernobyl’s Craig Mazin, might mean for Pascal’s future on The Mandalorian. In any case, we have to give credit to Mazin and the series’ casting team, because this is the second time in a day we’ve had to nod our heads and go, “Okay, yeah, we can see that” when the two most vitally important casting decisions for this series came down the line.
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My man keeps moving up! I was sad we didn’t get Mahershala Ali, but Pascal is awesome.
Those are two actors I’d watch in most anything because they can take anything that has even halfway decent material and elevate it with their performances and charisma, can also work magic with an ensemble, on their own, now I’m feeling that it is necessary for them to share scenes in a show, stage, or movie. Otherwise, that’d be a missed opportunity.
Haha, there are definitely a lot of great actors that have never shared a scene together. I feel you a lot.Ali was so mesmerizing that I even got through True Detective’s third season and ended up loving the season, which plot-wise wasn’t very compelling.
Yeah that was basically my reaction. “Aww it’s not Mahershala Ali, oooo it’s Pedro Pascal.”
So, A) the Ali story was to totally leaked by HBO to show that they tried casting outside of the box before announcing a cast that more closely resembles the video game characters.But B) Pascal and Ramsay will be very good. Though this seems a little too similar role for Pascal to “The Mandalorian” but you know R,or I guess, TV-MA rated. Just hope they don’t try to make this a longer story than it needs to be. It’s about Joel and Ellie, not the world. Their stories have conclusions.
They can stretch the entire premise of The Last of Us into at least 3 seasons though. It’s a cross country journey after all. Not to mention the DLC/Prequel side, and there are more than enough interesting supporting characters to explore.
I disagree with the premise. Specifically that just because a supporting character is interesting that they need to be explored. Their story needs to serve Ellie and Joel’s story. I don’t need flashbacks showing how they got to that point, I don’t want side stories exploring the world. Everything should focus on Joel and Ellie, and only how their lives lead to hoe they treat Joel and Ellie and how it forces them to push Joel and Ellie in any direction.
That’s not how it work. It may worked for you and me, who already familiar with the video game story. But for the rest of the masses, not so much. They need clarity. They need to know what makes Joel the way he is. The history with Tess, etc.
The story told in the game did not need it. You might be familiar with the story now, but you weren’t when you first started playing. And while I understand the need to make changes when adapting to a new medium, I defy you to find anyone who thinks that what we really need is more backstory for Tess. I mean, I’m not ruling it out if a talented creative team thinks they can make it work (I didn’t think a flashback story would work for Ellie, but Left Behind was an incredibly gripping expansion), but it’s definitely not on my list of things I’m hoping to see in a LoU series.This is a recurring Hollywood narrative trap: the idea that more explanation is the solution to everything.
I demand a series with no mention of zombies or diseases— just 2 people traveling talking to each other in the wilderness, “Dinner with Andre” style
The game was cinematic enough, with real actors, and lifelike characters. Why do we need a re-telling of that story? We know the Ellie and Joel dynamic. We’ve seen it all. It doesn’t need to exist twice in media.
This is a chance to expand their universe a bit.
We don’t need it. We also don’t need to watch. But there are millions of people out there that this would be new for. And I have no problems adding to Joel and Ellie’s in interesting ways. Or going full “Umbrella Academy” in hitting the same plot points but in completely different abs original ways.But, steps on soapbox, I’m tired of universe building bullshit. I don’t need to know the history of the world, I don’t need to know what happened to these characters in some other part of the world that led them to here in episode long flashbacks. I don’t need characters introduced so they might get their own spin-off. I want a character based story around Joel and Ellie and whether the human race is worth saving but people lose their humanity in the process. Lore and world-building has become a bane in media.
Yeah I told my aunt the story of The Last of Us and she seemed super interested, but would never experience it firsthand, which is why I’m excited for the show. It’s a phenomenal story. The only thing I’m sad will be lost is the player/character dynamic where Joel starts getting more and more murderous as we(/I) get more and more uncomfortable controlling him. Although I imagine there is still an interesting angle there, with “how far am I willing to sympathize with this monster?”
They shouldn’t, though. LoU is a perfect story for 12-13 eps total. I don’t want to watch 13 hours just to get to the State House shootout.
Agreed. I hope it’s a mini-series. Even if it’s 2 seasons. But please do not stretch this out into a 6 season drag. The Walking Dead was an exciting show for one or two seasons. Because they won’t let the damn thing die, all it’s done is annoy me with its existence for several years. We don’t need a Last of Us multiverse. It’s a story of two characters, essentially. We don’t need to go follow every side character or villain. It would take a great story and just make it unbearable.
The Pedro empire continues to grow…
I guess Pascal’s wager…Is paying off.
YEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!
Between the Carano news and this, there’s a real Goofus and Gallant vibe with Star Wars casting news tonight.
A soul for a soul, truly. And I couldn’t be happier.
Aw man, now who will play Abby? At least they won’t have to keep her separated from Lev.
Definitely an interesting pick.I feel more hopeful about Pascal as Joel than I do about Tom Holland as Nathan Drake, that’s for sure.
Hold up, Pedro Pascal is playing a grizzled survivor who has to take care of a young child and protect them from the forces who want to use them?…well, I see Mr. Pascal has found his niche and is sticking with it.In all seriousness, yes, this is good casting.
I bet all those people getting riled up over the rumor that Mahershala Ali got the role feel silly now. Wait, no, no they don’t. Those people have no shame.
I didn’t hear about it til they said he wasn’t doing it, but I would for sure have been against it. Primarily because I think he’s overrated as hell and very samey in everything I’ve ever seen him in but yes, also for the lesser reason of him looking absolutely not one thing like the original character, for which I make zero apologies.
I’m not sure I can see Ali’s roles in Moonlight, True Detective, Luke Cage, Green Book and Predators and call them “samey” but to each his own.
‘Pedro Pascal to star as everyone in everything forever’
I’m game so long as he can do a convincing accent, so much of that character was brought to life through Troy Baker’s world weary performance it’s hard to think of anyone else in the role, (Johnson of course too).
I mean I wouldn’t want him to go out of his way to entirely change his accent. Maybe add some southern inflection and world-weariness to it, but I don’t want him to ape Baker’s performance.
I guess the accent just seems, to me, like such an important part of the character.
He did spend a good chunk of his life in San Antonio, IIRC. (Aside: trying to figure out where in Austin the opening sequence in The Last of Us took place was very fun.) I imagine he’ll do just fine if he does a more serious version of his Agent Whiskey voice.
Jesus, I totally forgot that was him!
Chile, Tejas… they’re pretty much the same thing, right?
I don’t really care about Joel or Ellie, my favourite character is Abby. Who’s playing her?
Now just give me Oscar Isaac as Tommy and we’re all set.
Damn, dude’s career just absolutely took off. Starring roles in big Netflix, Disney and HBO properties. Love to see it, he’s awesome.
pascal’s gambitis that anythingAnyway, love it. I’m in. Love that guy.