The Last Of Us premiere was watched by 4.7 million viewers via linear and HBO Max .
The series had the biggest debut on HBO since House of the Dragon (9.986M), a record for an original series, and since the launch of Boardwalk Empire (4.81M linear only) in 2010.
Which is double the second season premiere of Euphoria , 2.4M last January, which then averaged 19.5M viewers per episode in the US
Sunday night viewers represent, according to HBO , approximately 20%-40% of an episode’s total viewership.
Casey Bloys , president and chief executive officer of HBO and HBO Max Content , said:
“We are thrilled to see fans of the series and game experience this iconic story in a new way and thank them for contributing to its success. Congratulations to Craig, Neil and the brilliant cast and crew who worked tirelessly to bring this series to life. We can’t wait for fans around the world to enjoy the rest of the season.”
Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann , writers and executive producers, added:
“Our goal was simply to make the best possible adaptation of this beloved story for as wide an audience as possible. We are delighted to see how many fans, old and new, have welcomed The Last of Us into their homes and hearts.”
The plot:
The story of The Last Of Us takes place twenty years after the fall of modern civilization, when a fungal parasite infects humans and turns them into monsters. Joel , a man hardened by the will to survive, is hired to escort 14-year-old Ellie out of an oppressive quarantine zone. It should be an easy job, but it soon becomes a dangerous and brutal journey: together, Joel and Ellie will have to cross what is left of the United States and rely on each other to escape death.
The cast
Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey lend their faces to Joel and Ellie . Gabriel Luna as Tommy , Joel ‘s brother . Merle Dandridge plays Marlene , as he has already done in the video game. Nico Parker plays Sarah , Joel ‘s daughter .
Rounding out the cast are Jeffrey Pierce (Perry), Murray Bartlett (Frank), Nick Offerman (Bill), Storm Reid (Riley) and Anna Torv (Tess). Lamar Johnson (Henry), Keivonn Woodard (Sam), Graham Greene (Marlon), Elaine Miles (Florence), Ashley Johnson and Troy Baker .
Created by Craig Mazin (creator of Chernobyl, the sequels of The Hangover ) co-writer with Neil Druckman , author of the video game. Both cover the role of executive producers.
The show is directed by Jasmila Žbanić ( Esma’s Secret, The Path ) and Ali Abbasi ( Shelley, Border ). The pilot episode is directed by Kantemir Balagov ( Tesnota, The Autumn Girl ).
A Sony Pictures Television co-production with Carolyn Strauss, Evan Wells, Asad Qizilbash, Carter Swan and Rose Lam serving as executive producers. The series is produced by PlayStation Productions, Word Games, The Mighty Mint and Naughty Dog