After many brief teases, glimpses, and hints, we finally have something meaty to sink our teeth into when it comes to HBO Max’s upcoming series adaptation of the beloved gaming franchise The Last of Us. Video game adaptations can go in many different ways, so fans of The Last of Us can sleep a little easier tonight knowing the teaser trailer for the show looks incredible. (That is if images of the show’s zombies don’t keep them away.) The Last of Us teaser even includes nods to DLC goodies from the games. What more could anyone ask for?


 “Save who you can save.” The description for The Last of Us‘ teaser trailer ominously notes. And the logline for the show gives us even more of a reminder of what the core of the show. It shares:

The Last of Us story takes place twenty years after modern civilization has been destroyed. Joel, a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie, a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone. What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal, heartbreaking journey, as they both must traverse the U.S. and depend on each other for survival.

The Last of Us Teaser trailer joel and Ellie
HBO Max

“Brutal and heartbreaking” is definitely the vibe of this trailer. Though we have only seen a glimpse of them acting together, we already feel totally sold on the relationship between Pedro Pascal’s Joel and Bella Ramsey’s Ellie. We just know this one will tear our hearts out and stomp all over them.

HBO Max

We’re also more than ready to meet Melanie Lynskey’s character. Odds are she isn’t playing Yellowjackets‘ Shauna here, but given the context, whoever her character is may not be that far off either. A release for The Last of Us‘ teaser trailer does not yet reveal who Lynskey is playing. But according to TV Line, Lynskey’s character is “Kathleen, the ruthless leader of a revolutionary movement in Kansas City.” That actually does sound a bit like Shauna to us.

HBO Max

All in all, though, we’ve had many renditions of zombie stories over the last few years. But HBO Max’s The Last of Us still excites us. So many kudos to the series for that. We can’t wait to hear more about when the show will release. For now, all The Last of Us‘ teaser trailer reveals to us is that we can expect it in 2023.