Another actor has been added to the roster of HBO’s upcoming The Last of Us series, and this one is more familiar with the grim world than the others. Merle Dandridge, who voiced the character of Marlene in The Last of Us game, has been cast to reprise her role in HBO’s adaptation of the extremely popular PlayStation game.
This news, first reported by The Hollywood Reporter, came as a surprise to fans of the game series since it is quite rare to see actors who voice game characters go on to become a part of the live-action adaptation. Dandridge is the only voice actor from The Last of Us game who has been brought in to reprise her role so far. She is joining a star-studded cast of the show that includes Pedro Pascal as Joel, Bella Ramsey as Ellie, and Gabriel Luna as Tommy.
In the game, Marlene is the head of the Fireflies, a group of resistance fighters who struggle for freedom. For those who haven’t played the games, she plays a vital role in bringing the lead characters, Joel and Ellie, together. Joel, a smuggler and one of the few survivors in The Last of Us' zombie-infested world, works with his partner Tess to recover stolen weapons. However, it turns out that the black-market dealer has already traded those with the Fireflies, which is when Marlene first comes into the picture.
She then strikes a deal with Joel to double the weapon cache if he helps smuggle Ellie, a teenage girl, to the remaining Fireflies hiding outside the quarantine zone. What seems like a simple mission turns into a brutal journey, with both lead characters coming across several threats along the way and having to depend on each other in order to survive. Players get attached to the characters, especially as their heartbreaking circumstances only lead to the worst ending possible.
Developed by Naughty Dog, The Last of Us is one of the best-selling PlayStation game series ever created. The first game in the series sold more than 17 million copies worldwide, whereas The Last of Us II became the fastest-selling PS4 exclusive game upon its release.
While the first game follows Joel and Ellie’s journey, who are brought together by chance but are forced to stick together, the sequel is more focused on how Ellie copes with Joel’s death. It remains to be seen how closely HBO's The Last of Us series will follow the script from the game.
The Last of Us will begin filming this summer and a release date hasn’t been announced yet.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter