HBO’s biggest show is back next month and last night’s LA Premiere event was infectious. I’ve worked carpets for 11 years and have never seen throngs of fans screaming the cast’s name and hoping for glimpses of their favorite actors. They blanketed the entire block and then some and were granted cordoned-off areas close to the stars where they cheered and commiserated.
It felt like the Beatles were in town.
Such is the magnetism of a show featuring the megawatt talents of Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey and a litany of other notable actors, composers, costumers and a host of other pieces of this very successful puzzle.
Based on the smash-hit game of the same name, it tells the story of people living through a global pandemic where the infected transform into terrifying beasts I wouldn’t necessarily call zombies, but definitely run at you very fast and bite you.
The first season ended with Joel (Pascal) and Ellie (Ramsay) headed to a community of highly-organized survivors where Joel’s brother is well-respected and resources are abundant. Season two picks up five years into their time there, and while they live a placid life, fans of the game know peace won’t last forever.
I spoke with several of the show’s stars and tried to pry out as much information as possible, but they were tight-lipped and I should add, dressed to the nines. Noah Lamanna, who plays Ellie’s ex-girlfriend Kat, stopped by and was seemingly blown away by her time on set.
“The visual scale is just so impressive, and you really can’t know what to expect until you’re there and looking at it,’ she said.
Thankfully fans won’t have to wait too much longer to see for themselves, as the show returns in a mere three weeks on April 13th. I know the horde of people at the premiere last night will be tuned-in, and if the global success of this show is any indication, so will you.
