On Monday January 9, 2023 I attended the world premiere of The Last of Us at the Regency Westwood Village Theatre. Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey star as Joel and Ellie. Other notable cast members include: Merle Dandridge, Gabriel Luna, Anna Torv, and Nico Parker all who were in attendance.The series itself was co-written and executive produced by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann. The Last of Us is based on the critically acclaimed video game. Playstation executives Asad Qizilbash and Eric Lempel were in attendance to represent.
When chatting with Craig Mazin on the carpet, he expressed his enthusiasm for fans to witness character moments that otherwise weren’t expanded on in the video game. The TV series is a unique opportunity to grow moments from the gameplay that were otherwise left as is.
Despite being an extremely rainy evening, fans didn’t let that stop them from coming out to cheer the cast on and attend the screening. Before the screening, both Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann said a few words sharing their gratitude for the hard working crew on the project.
The audience reaction to the first episode was enthusiastic. Overall it was an amazing season opener. There was even a sneak peak at the end for what’s to come the rest of the season.
After the screening there was an after party across the street where the cast, crew, and invitees were able to enjoy drinks, appetizers, and music. There were many congratulations to go around. As a party favor, HBO was handing out customized survival kits to attendees. Themed cocktails were also served to encapsulate the overall tone of the show.
Be sure to watch The Last of Us on HBO premiering January 15th 2023!
