“The Last of Us”: Matthew McConaughey turned down lead role in HBO series

According to Full Circle Cinema, Matthew McConaughey (“Interstellar”) turned down the lead role in the upcoming television series inspired by the game “The Last of Us”.

It has been said that before Pedro Pascal (“The Mandalorian”) was chosen to play Joel, HBO offered the role to McConaughey.

As he had previously worked with the network on the acclaimed “True Detective” series, his performance was one of the main reasons for the invitation.

However, it has not been revealed why McConaughey did not accept the proposal.

After that, the invitation was extended to Mahershala Ali, who also starred in “True Detective”, but since he had a tight schedule, the role was given to Pascal.

A few weeks ago, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Merle Dandridge, Marlene’s voice actor in the game, will be the live-action version of the character in the adaptation.

In the games of the franchise, Marlene is the leader of a group known as the Vagalumes, an armed militia that attempts to restore society by seeking a cure for the fungus that caused the apocalypse on planet Earth.

For those who don’t know her, Dandridge has also performed in major productions such as “Sons of Anarchy”, “The Flight Attendant” and “Greenleaf”.

In addition to Pascal, she joins Bella Ramsey, who will bring Ellie to life.

Gabriel Luna will play Tommy, Joel’s younger brother.

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According to Variety, HBO has hired two new directors for the ambitious adaptation.

The production will be directed by Jasmila Žbanić, known for her acclaimed work on “Quo Vadis, Aida? Oscar nominee and Ali Abbasi, whose main work is the film “Border”.

The couple join previously announced Kantemir Balagov responsible for directing the pilot episode.

Production begins July 5, in Alberta, Canada, and is scheduled to end on June 8, 2022.

Craig Mazin (‘Chernobyl’) will also act as producer and screenwriter.

In an interview with the BBC, Mazin revealed that the plot will expand the gaming universe, making it clear that the series will not change the main elements of the games, but will simply provide more information.

“If you’ve ever played ‘The Last of Us’ our intention is for you to watch the show and say,’ It didn’t violate anything that I liked about the game. either at the level of the plot or the characters, but we will bring a lot more information about this universe. Believe me, the story is very large and leaves room for a lot of new ideas, some really amazing ideas.

The production is the result of a partnership between Naughty Dog, HBO, Sony Pictures Televison and PlayStation Productions, which will make its debut in creating television series.

Still no release date, the project will also have Neil Druckmann (one of the game’s creators) as executive producer and will feature Naughty Dog presidents Carolyn Strauss and Evan Wells as additional producers.

Released in 2013, “The Last of Us” is set in a post-apocalyptic future and follows the journey of drug dealer Joel and young Ellie, the only one capable of finding a cure for the disease that has devastated the world.

Discover the first official illustration of the series:

. @ HBO gives series order to #TheLastOfUs. @clmazin and @Neil_Druckmann prepare to write and produce. Carolyn Strauss, @evan_wells, @aqizil, and @CarterSwan are also executive producers. @SPTV, @Naughty_Dog, @PlayStation productions should produce: https://t.co/dIOCovjGqK pic.twitter.com/tOsuWFwklR

– HBO PR (@HBOPR) November 20, 2020

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