Bella Ramsey is going to try and save the world from a zombie apocalypse.
The actress, best known for playing the fierce, intimidating teen Lyanna Mormont on Game of Thrones, has reportedly been cast as the lead role of Ellie in HBO’s adaptation of the video game The Last of Us, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Based on the popular PlayStation franchise, the series will follow Ellie and a protector named Joel as they traverse a violent, desolate, zombie-infested world. Ellie somehow survived a zombie bite and everyone thinks she may hold the secret to a cure. Craig Mazin, the man behind the harrowing HBO series Chernobyl, is writing the show and executive producing alongside Neil Druckmann, the writer and creative director behind the game series, which released its first game in 2013 and Part II just last year.
The role of Joel has yet to be cast; THR notes that despite rumours it could go to Oscar winner Mahershala Ali, he was merely circling the role but it didn’t pan out.
No matter who takes on the second lead, though, The Last of Us is about Ellie. And Ramsey has certainly demonstrated, not just as the Lady of Bear Island on Game of Thrones, but as Angelica on His Dark Materials, her ability to convey a commanding yet vulnerable presence. She can be scary, but you know there’s a chance she’s terrified inside. That dichotomy is the key to Ellie, a young girl who has the weight of the world on her shoulders.
[referenced id=”1531509″ url=”https://gizmodo.com.au/2020/11/the-last-of-us-television-adaptation-is-a-go-at-hbo/” thumb=”https://gizmodo.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/22/f9ttinafhdbbbceoc2wz-300×169.png” title=”The Last of Us Television Adaptation Is a Go at HBO” excerpt=”From the mind behind Chernobyl and some of the folks at game developer Naughty Dog, The Last of Us, the hit PlayStation series about a fungus-based zombie apocalypse, is officially making its way to television.”]