UK Viewers Will Be Able To Enjoy The Last Of Us, But There’s A Catch

TV and film adaptations of popular video games often get a bad reputation. So when it was announced that HBO would be adapting The Last Of Us into a television series, gamers were understandably apprehensive. Thankfully, the show is in the hands of Chernonbyl’s Craig Mazin, and the game’s creator Neil Druckmann has been involved in the process at every step. So here’s how you can watch The Last Of Us in the UK, and what you can expect from the series.

The Last Of Us is shaping up to be the pinnacle of game adaptations, notably when it was announced that The Mandalorian’s Pedro Pascal and Game Of Thrones’ Bella Ramsey would be portraying its main characters, Joel and Ellie. The series follows the duo as they travel across a post-apocalyptic United States ravaged by an outbreak of a mutant strain of the Cordyceps fungus that turns people into mutated monsters.

After much speculation, it was announced in November 2022 that The Last Of Us would premiere in January 2023. The nine-episode series will be available to watch on HBO Max in the United States on Jan. 15. But fans in the UK will have to wait a day before seeing the first episode, which airs on Sky Atlantic and NOW on Monday (Jan. 16). Each episode will air weekly in the UK and U.S., following the same release schedule as House Of The Dragon.

If you haven’t already played the game, now’s the perfect opportunity to get familiar with the story and its characters. The Last Of Us was initially released on PlayStation 3 in 2013, and has since received two remasters – the latest being The Last Of Us Part I for PS5 following the release of The Last Of Us Part II.

HBO’s adaptation will also expand upon the first game’s storyline to flesh out the characters and include moments that were cut. However, Mazin has made it clear that the show will stick closely to the game, particularly since he’s a fan of it. “In this case, I’m doing it with the guy who did it, and so the changes we’re making are designed to fill things out and expand, not to undo, but rather to enhance,” he said during an interview on BBC Radio 5 Live.