It's been a while since we had any updates on HBO's upcoming The Last of Us adaptation, but THR is now reporting that another principal cast member has been added to the ensemble, and the actress is very familiar with the material!
Merle Dandridge (The Night Shift, Sons of Anarchy, The Flight Attendant) is set to play Marlene, the Firefly resistance movement leader she voiced in the Naughty Dog video games. She joins Game of Thrones breakout Bella Ramsey as Ellie, The Mandalorian star Pedro Pascal as Joel, and Terminator: Dark Fate actor Gabriel Luna as Tommy.
The Last of Us is set 20 years after modern civilization has been destroyed and centers on the relationship between Joel, a smuggler in this new world, and Ellie, a teenager who may be key to a cure for a deadly pandemic. Joel, a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle the 14-year-old girl out of an oppressive quarantine zone. What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal, heartbreaking journey as they traverse the U.S. and depend on each other for survival.
Craig Mazin (Chernobyl) and the game's creator Neil Druckmann are writing and executive producing the show. The first season will adapt the events of the original game, but is also expected to include elements of the sequel. Druckmann recently confirmed that the series will take some liberties with the story.
A premiere date has not been announced, but production is expected to kick-off later this year.