The Last of Us Adaptation Is ‘Similar’ to How Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni Treat The Mandalorian, Pedro Pascal Says

Pedro Pascal, who is set to play Joel in the upcoming Last of Us series on HBO, says the show “really is made for the people that love” The Last of Us.

In an interview with GQ about his upcoming movie, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, Pascal took a moment to address the upcoming series, saying the creative approach is similar to another show Pascal stars in.

“There’s a very, very creative way of honoring what’s important and also preserving what is iconic to the experience of the video game, and also [to include] things that you wouldn’t necessarily expect,” Pascal said. “They’re doing some really smart things, is all I can say. It’s similar to the way Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni treat The Mandalorian, in how [Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann] are treating The Last of Us — it’s in good hands because they love it so much… So it really is made for the people that love it.”

Mazin is producing The Last of Us HBO series and has previously said the adaptation will not “undo” the original game’s story. He’s working with Druckmann, the co-creator of The Last of Us and current Co-President of Naughty Dog, who is heavily involved with the show.

Pascal also said he hasn’t finished The Last of Us video game, but not due to a lack of effort.

“It’s so sad, I haven’t any skill,” Pascal said. “I tried, you know. And then it was only a matter of minutes before I had to hand it over to my nephew. It really takes a specific kind of skill, and I don’t have it.”

He went on to say he watched his nephew play a big chunk of the game, before stopping to create a “healthy distance” between Troy Baker’s original portrayal of Joel and his own.

“I found Joel so impressive — I found the whole of it such a visually impressive experience. And then I got worried that I would want to imitate too much, which I think could be right in some circumstances, and then a mistake in others.”

Pascal is also the star of The Mandalorian, which is gearing up for its third season. The actor has high hopes for The Last of Us project, saying the show can “more than live up to” the original game.

The first season of The Last of Us will cover the entirety of the first game’s story over ten episodes. We haven’t seen much of the series yet, besides one image of Pascal’s Joel and Bella Ramsey’s Ellie posted last year on The Last of Us day. We also have a good idea of the rest of The Last of Us cast, including Parks and Rec’s Nick Offerman as Bill. The series won’t premiere until 2023 at the earliest.

Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN. You can find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.