The Last of Us TV show will make your next playthrough of the games even "richer"

The Last of Us
(Image credit: HBO)

The Last of Us TV show co-creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann have spoken about how those coming from the games will react to the upcoming HBO series – including why it will make your next playthrough even "richer."

Speaking at CCXP (via Hyper Omelete), Mazin suggested that devoted fans of the source material will be surprised by what’s to come.

"I have played The Last of Us about 12 times. I know how it ends. I love the journey. And we promise there will be surprises along the way. If you've played the game, I promise you there are things that you don't know that are coming that will blow your mind," Mazin said (H/T Screen Rant).

Druckmann also added that there are moments in the show that they "didn't get a chance" to add the game. Excitingly, the knock-on effect for those going back to play Naughty Dog’s PlayStation classics after watching the show will be profound.

"We’ve now talked to people who have watched the entire season and went back and played the game, and they said the game is now richer having watched the show," Druckmann teased.

A new trailer for The Last of Us series, which included several callbacks to the games, also premiered over the weekend. The show, starring Pedro Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsay as Ellie, is all set to premiere on HBO on January 15, 2023 and Sky on January 16, 2023. For more on what’s heading to our screens next year, check out our guide to new TV shows.

Bradley Russell

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.

Read more
The Last of Us season 2 first look
The Last of Us season 2 will tell "a different version" of the story, but Neil Druckmann loves the changes they've made: "Its DNA is in there"
Pedro Pascal as Joel in HBO's The Last of Us
Neil Druckmann says The Last of Us season 2 will incorporate "pretty brutal" deleted material from The Last of Us 2: "I'm very excited for people to see it"
The Last of Us season 2 first look
HBO teases how many seasons The Last of Us will run for – and it's more than we expected
Kaitlyn Dever as Abby in The Last Of Us season 2
I'm really hopeful that The Last of Us season 2 flips a key part of the game's story – and I think the new trailer just confirmed it
Bella Ramsey as Ellie and Pedro Pascal as Joel in The Last of Us
The Last of Us showrunner Craig Mazin praises Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal for "spectacular" take on one of Part 2's most iconic scenes in season 2
Clicker and Ellie
The Last of Us season 2 trailer brings the heart and the horror back to Joel and Ellie
Latest in Action Shows
Tony Dalton as Jack Duquesne
Daredevil: Born Again fans are loving the MCU cameos in this week's episodes – especially the Hawkeye reunion
Daredevil: Born Again episode 6
Daredevil: Born Again's long-awaited moment has been called "pure cinema" featuring one of the "best lines in comic book movie history"
Daredevil looking mean and moody.
Daredevil: Born Again episode 5 just nodded to Thanos and the Avengers movies in the most obscure way
Daredevil: Born Again
Daredevil: Born Again has pulled another scene straight from the comics – and it's one of the darkest moments yet
Muse
Daredevil: Born Again midseason trailer teases Matt Murdock’s violent fight with Muse, including a gory scene straight from the comics
Iman Vellani in The Marvels
Daredevil: Born Again episode 5 gives an important Ms. Marvel update – and it might have confirmed a major team-up in the next Avengers movie
Latest in News
Pillars of Eternity
10 years later, in a post-Baldur's Gate 3 and Avowed world, Obsidian is giving its own throwback CRPG Pillars of Eternity a turn-based combat mode
Destiny 2 Lightfall
When Destiny 2 "weekly active users dropped lower and faster than we'd seen since 2018," Bungie assembled an A-Team to put out some fires: "We needed to do something"
Velma, Daphne, Fred, Shaggy, and Scooby-Doo looking at a giant key which is also a clue
Netflix is rebooting Scooby-Doo as a live-action series from the producer of Supergirl and The Flash centered around a "supernatural murder" at a summer camp
Astro Bot
Astro Bot went through 23 pitch iterations before its director promised PlayStation "happy gameplay" and "overflowing charm," though it did once end with robot decapitation that made "some people really upset"
Tomb Raider
5 years after Avengers, 2 years after its last layoffs, and who knows how long before Perfect Dark and Tomb Raider return, Crystal Dynamics announces another round of layoffs
AI Limit
"AI is not as effective as it might appear": Dev of AI-focused Soulslike RPG says they didn't use any AI-generated content and it can't match "genuine creativity"