The Last of Us actor Murray Bartlett has teased that a script for the upcoming HBO series features one of the "best hours of television" he’s ever read.
"The scripts that I had to work with, one particular script is one of the best hours of television I've ever read," Bartlett told Collider. "It's beautiful. It's beautifully written. There are these zombie creatures in it, but it's tender and it's human. I think it's gonna be really special. I haven't seen any of it yet, but I'm really proud of the work we did and I think it could be really, really wonderful."
There's already an incredible amount of hype for HBO's The Last of Us series. A big-budget adaptation of one of video game’s greatest stories – co-created by Chornobyl’s Craig Mazin, no less – will do that. But Bartlett, who received widespread critical acclaim for his role as hotel manager Armond in The White Lotus, might have just tipped it over the edge.
Bartlett is all set to play Frank in The Last of Us series – a role that will be fleshed out from its off-screen presence in Naughty Dog’s 2013 game. Frank’s increased presence also hints at what Craig Mazin has already termed a more "enhanced" version of the game’s story in an interview with the BBC.
"In this case, I’m doing it with [Naughty Dog co-president Neil Druckmann], and so the changes that we're making are designed to fill things out and expand, not to undo, but rather to enhance," Mazin said at the time.
The Last of Us, starring Pedro Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsey as Ellie, is set for release on HBO on January 15 and Sky Atlantic and NOW TV on January 16. Discover what’s making the leap from consoles to cinemas with our complete guide to upcoming video game movies.
