The Last of Us Part II video game was epic in scale and is expected to play out over multiple seasons of HBO's small screen adaptation. Fans of the franchise will know what's on the way, and all eyes are now on who is cast as Abigail "Abby" Anderson.
The character remains both a fan-favourite and incredibly controversial (depending on who you ask) but the role will require a talented actress capable of exploring Abby's complexities in a story arc which sees her go from antagonist to protagonist.
A member of the Fireflies broken by tragedy when Joel Miller killed her father, Jerry Anderson, Abby then makes it her mission to avenge his demise. Oh, and if you're wondering who her dad is, it's the surgeon that Joel brutally gunned down in The Last of Us' season 1 finale.
Talking to The Hollywood Reporter (via SFFGazette.com), The Last of Us co-creator and showrunner Craig Mazin was asked if Abby has been cast yet. "Maybe," he responded with a laugh.
When the interview pointed out he'd turned red, Mazin added: "The strike stopped us in our tracks. Things were in process. Look, Abby was the first role that we wanted to tackle."
"We’ve got a pretty good track record of making major cast announcements and people going, 'Really?' which will probably continue. So people may disagree, but I think we got it right so far and the audience seems to feel we got it right and the Academy seems to feel we got it right."
Since then, a reliable online scooper has strongly hinted that Shannon Berry has been tapped to play Abby.
A relative newcomer, she's appeared in TV shows like Hunters, Offspring, and The Wilds. Berry definitely looks the part and while this casting has yet to be confirmed (and likely won't be until the SAG-AFTRA strike ends), we'll be sure to keep you updated.