Trailer breakdown: Easter eggs, secrets, and more from HBO's 'The Last of Us' teaser
Finally, we get to see more of Game of Thrones alums Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey as Joel and Ellie in the first trailer for HBO's The Last of Us.
The series, adapted from the award-winning video game of the same name, is set in a post-apocalyptic world where some humans have been infected by a mutated fungus. The infection drives them to turn hostile and become cannibalistic, feasting on other people's flesh.
HBO dropped an almost two-minute trailer for the 2023 series, which is filled with references and easter eggs that eagle-eyed fans and gamers will be delighted to see. Let's break down some of the scenes from the teaser.
The trailer opens with Joel (Pascal) in what appears to be Boston, the same city where the game begins. We also get glimpses of the post-apocalyptic United States, with someone painting over the logo of the revolutionary group Fireflies.
In the game, the Fireflies' leader Marlene (Merle Dandridge) hires Joel to smuggle a teenage girl, Ellie (Ramsey), across the country, fending off The Last of Us zombies and its variant called the "clickers" while forming a bond with her along the way.
One of the earlier scenes shows Joel's watch, an emotional easter egg for fans. The watch is a birthday present the hero got from his young daughter Sara, who didn't survive the apocalypse.
Some of the series' glum sceneries take a page out of the game, with the crumbling skyscrapers and overgrown greenery that serve as backdrops to Ellie and Joel's travels.
One character we didn't expect to see onscreen was Riley (Storm Reid), Ellie's friend who appears in flashbacks in the first game and its DLC content. Other characters that make a cameo in the trailer include Lincoln survivor Bill (Nick Offerman) and Kansas City revolutionary movement leader Kathleen (Melanie Lynskey).
The Last of Us arrives on HBO in 2023.