'The Last of Us' TV series heads for early release

Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey portray Joel and Ellie, two survivors in a post-apocalyptic America invaded by creatures that resemble zombies called “clickers”

HBO's highly anticipated post-apocalyptic drama television series 'The Last of Us' is set to debut on January 15 next year.

Based on the popular PlayStation video game, the series will consist of nine episodes.

According to Variety, HBO Max users who were paying close attention Tuesday morning discovered an unintentional leak on the streaming service, which led to the official date announcement.

As per the reports, Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey portray Joel and Ellie, two survivors in a post-apocalyptic America invaded by creatures that resemble zombies called "clickers," in the film "The Last of Us." The world has been decimated by a horrible sickness known as the cordyceps fungus, which has reduced its victims to shambling husks with spores that resemble mushrooms growing from their bodies. Joel and Ellie had to journey across the country for a crucial assignment, just like in the original computer game, while avoiding clickers, bandits, and other perils.

The cast also features Murray Bartlett as Frank, Nick Offerman as Bill, Jeffrey Pierce as Perry, Nico Parker as Sarah, Gabriel Luna as Tommy, Merle Dandridge as Marlene, the head of the rebel group known as the Fireflies, Merle Dandridge as Marlene, and Anna Torv as Tess. Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson, who portrayed Joel and Ellie in the video game "Last of Us" and its follow-up, will also make an unspecified appearance in the show.

According to Variety, along with Neil Druckmann, co-president of the video game studio Naughty Dog, which produced 'The Last of Us,' Craig Mazin, the Emmy-winning author of 'Chernobyl,' serves as co-creator and executive producer.