Looks like HBO accidentally revealed The Last of US TV show release date

Joel and Ellie could be coming to HBO Max on January 16, 2023

(Credit: Naughty Dog)

➡️ The Shortcut Skinny: The Last of Us TV series

• 📅 HBO’s The Last of Us TV adaptation is coming on January 16

• 😮 The premiere date leaked early on the HBO Max app

• ⌛ We’ve been waiting for a firm release date for several months

• 🥳 It won’t be long until we see Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsay in action

HBO appears to have accidentally leaked the release date of its upcoming TV adaptation of The Last of Us.

As shared by several Twitter accounts, the show’s entry on the HBO Max app lists The Last of US release date as January 15, 2023. Another promotional email reportedly sent by UK broadcaster Sky says the series will release on January 16, although it’s not uncommon for TV shows to air in the US slightly ahead of Europe.

The timing adds up. HBO previously announced the show would release in 2023. It released the first teaser image of the show back in September 2021 and only put out the first full trailer last month. Things certainly look to be ramping up.

Based on Naughty Dog’s post-apocalyptic narrative blockbuster, The Last of Us will star Game of Thrones’ Pedro Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsay as Ellie. It will primarily follow the story of the first game, as Joel and Ellie journey across the lawless wasteland of post-civilization America.

In a recent interview for USA Today, Ramsay revealed she was encouraged not to play the game before taking on the part. “After my first audition, they asked me, ‘Have you played it?’ And I said, ‘Nope,’ and they said, ‘Keep it that way,’” Ramsay said.

“I did watch some of the gameplay on YouTube just to get a sense of it. But I'm so excited for it to come out – it was such a big part of my life.”

Pascal similarly avoided the game to deliberately create distance between his interpretation of Joel and Troy Baker’s original performance. Speaking to GQ, he said: ”I found Joel so impressive – I found the whole of it such a visually impressive experience. And then I got worried that I would want to imitate too much, which I think could be right in some circumstances, and then a mistake in others. So I just wanted to create a healthy distance.”

Of course, while you wait, you could always play through the game yourself. The Last of Us Part 1 was released on PS5 in September and we thought it was an expertly-crafted remake of the original game. While it didn’t make it onto our pick of the best PS5 games it’s well worth your time.