The Last Of Us has become the second biggest premiere for HBO.
The post-apocalyptic drama debuted to 4.7 million viewers in the US on Sunday, behind Game of Thrones spin-off, House of The Dragon, which premiered to 9.986 million viewers, as reported by Deadline.
The nine-episode series was created by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann and is based on the 2013 video game.
Like the video game, the series takes place twenty years after modern civilization has been destroyed.
Pedro Pascal plays Joel, a hardened survivor who is hired to smuggle 14-year-old Ellie, played by Bella Ramsey, out of an oppressive quarantine zone. What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal, heartbreaking journey, as they both must traverse the U.S. and depend on each other for survival.
Also starring in The Last Of Us is Gabriel Luna as Joel’s younger brother Tommy, Merle Dandridge as resistance leader Marlene, and Australian actor Anna Torv as Joel’s smuggler partner Tess.
The series also features another Australian Murray Bartlett, star of The White Lotus season one, Nick Offerman, of Parks and Recreation fame, and New Zealand actress Melanie Lynskey.
Casey Bloys, chairman and CEO of HBO & HBO Max Content, told Variety US: “We are thrilled to see fans of the series and game alike experience this iconic story in a new way, and we extend our gratitude to them for helping to make it a success.”
“Congratulations to Craig, Neil and the brilliant cast and crew who worked tirelessly to bring this show to life. We look forward to fans around the world enjoying the rest of the season,” he added.
Executive producers Mazin and Druckmann also told the publication: “Our focus was simply to make the best possible adaptation of this beloved story for as big an audience as we could.
“We are overjoyed to see how many fans, both old and new, have welcomed ‘The Last of Us’ into their homes and their hearts,” they added.
The premiere of The Last Of Us was the largest debut following the success House of The Dragon last August. Before that, HBO’s biggest premiere was the launch of Boardwalk Empire in 2010, starring Steve Buscemi with 4.81 million viewers tuning in to its TV premiere.
House of the Dragon broke viewing records in Australia across Foxtel and Binge when it premiered on Monday, August 22.
The Games of Thrones spin-off set a new viewing record with 1.235 million viewers watching the first episode, becoming the biggest premiere for any show in history across Foxtel and Binge.
See also: Binge celebrates the Australian premiere of The Last Of Us
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Top image: Pedro Pascal in The Last Of Us with Nico Parker