The Last of Us was one of the most critically acclaimed games of 2013 across any platform, winning numerous awards including Game of the Year from several publications. It was so good, in fact, that it was recently picked up by Screen Gems for a live-action movie adaptation according to a new report from Deadline.
The film’s script will be written by Neil Druckmann, the creative director for the game. Evan Wells and Christophe Balestra, co-presidents of Naughty Dog (the game’s developer) will serve as creative architects alongside Druckmann and game director Bruce Straley. Sam Raimi from Ghost House Pictures is also on board, we’ve heard.
According to the logline, hardened survivor Joel teams with young and capable companion Ellie to journey through a radically transformed world some 20 years after an infectious pandemic ravaged humanity.
Screen Gems president Clint Culpepper said staffers Brian Dukes and Eric Ling brought the game to his attention and insisted they go after it. After he saw the quality of the storytelling, Culpepper realized the audience for the project was far greater than just the gaming community and that Druckmann must write the screenplay.
Wells said they’ve talked with several companies about a film adaptation since the game was released last June. They believe they’ve found the perfect fit with the combination of Screen Gems and Ghose House.
No word yet on when the project will get under way or how long it will be until we can expect it to hit theaters, however.
