'Chernobyl' Director To Helm HBO's 'The Last Of Us' Pilot Episode

Johan Renck, director of HBO’s blockbuster hit TV series “Chernobyl,” was approached to helm the pilot episode of the upcoming series adaptation of the popular video game “The Last Of Us.”

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin will be penning the story for the pilot episode. Druckmann has been attached to the game as a writer and creative director while Mazin is known for writing all the five episodes of “Chernobyl.”

Renck will also executive produce the episode along with Carolyn Strauss and Evan Wells, president of Naughty Dog, the company that developed the game. PlayStation Productions will co-produce the project with Sony Pictures Television.

Released in 2013, “The Last Of Us” is one of the greatest games of this generation. The game chronicles the journey of Joel, a smuggler in the post-apocalypse world, and Ellie, a teenager who might play an important role in finding a cure for the deadly pandemic.

The game received universal acclaim and is currently the fifth-highest PlayStation 3 game on Metacritic. Publications like IGN, CVG, Eurogamer, Edge, Push Square, and Game Informer gave the game 10 out of 10 for its impeccable storytelling and gameplay.

It is also one of the best-selling video games of all time, selling over 1.3 million units in its first week and 17 million by April 2018.

“The Last Of Us” won several year-end accolades, including multiple Game of the Year awards from gaming publications, critics, and game award ceremonies.

It was named Best Animated Video Game at the Annie Awards in 2014, and it won nine trophies at the D.I.C.E Awards.

On the other hand, Renck is known for directing some of the best TV shows of all time. In 2010, he received critical acclaim for helming an episode for the first season of “The Walking Dead.” Meanwhile, he also donned the director’s hat for Bryan Cranston’s “Breaking Bad.”

“Vikings,” “Bates Motel” and “Bloodline” are some of the other notable projects that Renck has been a part of in the past.

The director has won two Primetime Emmy Awards for creating “Chernobyl.” The series is one of the highest-rated TV series of all time and has a rating of 9.4 on IMDb.