Entertainment
How to watch The Last of Us in the UK and how many episodes will there be?-Sabrina Barr-Entertainment – Metro
All you need to know.
Joel has the tough task of smuggling Ellie across the country (Picture: HBO Max/Planet Photos)
The global phenomenon of The Last of Us video game is finally hitting our screens with the new TV adaptation, with former Game of Thrones stars Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey leading the cast.
The 2023 release date for the TV show has finally arrived on HBO in the US and Sky and NOW in the UK, so read on to find out how you can watch the post-apocalyptic tale unfold.
The Last of Us follows lead characters Joel (Pedro) and Ellie (Bella) in a world where the Cordyceps infection – which in real life can have a detrimental impact on insects – has managed to infiltrate the human population, leading to widespread devastation and destruction.
However, it appears that Ellie is immune to the parasitic fungal infection, and so Joel is tasked with smuggling her across the US in the hope that she might be the key towards creating a cure.
So how can you watch The Last of Us in the UK? Here’s what you need to know.
How to watch The Last of Us in the UK
The Last of Us’ launch has been highly anticipated by fans of the video game franchise around the world, as well as those unfamiliar with the story who’ve been gripped by the horrifying premise.
In the US, episodes will be airing on HBO on Sunday evenings, with the release date being Sunday January 15.
Just like with other HBO productions like House of the Dragon, episodes of The Last of Us will be shown on Sky Atlantic and streaming platform NOW the following day, with instalments first being made available from 2am GMT.
In order to be able to watch, you need to be either a Sky customer or a NOW subscriber.
Membership to NOW costs £9.99 a month, with a subscription allowing people access to a variety of TV shows and the option to cancel at any time they’d like.
It also includes a seven-day free trial of Boost, which provides extra streaming allowance on other devices and allows access to better picture and sound quality.
People who are interested in subscribing to NOW also have the option to buy a bundle membership to NOW Entertainment and NOW cinema for £12 a month for the first six months, before costing £19.98 a month from that point on.
How many episodes will there be?
There are nine episodes in total for the first season of The Last of Us.
With the first season airing in the UK on Monday January 16, this means that the season finale will land on Sky Atlantic and NOW on Monday March 13, while it will air in the US on HBO on the evening of Sunday March 12.
Pedro and Bella forged a strong friendship during filming (Picture: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)
During an interview with SFX magazine, co-showrunner Neil explained why the TV series would be less violent than in the video games… although of course, the show still makes for a gruesome and often terrifying watch.
‘We need a certain amount of action, or violence, that we could use for mechanics so you could connect with Joel and get into a flow state,’ he said.
‘Then you would really feel like you’re connected with this on-screen avatar and you’re seeing the world through his eyes.’
He added via Collider: ‘But that doesn’t exist in a passive medium. One of the things that I loved hearing from [co-creator Craig] and HBO very early on was, “Let’s take out all the violence except for the very essential.”
‘That allowed the violence to have even more impact than in the game, because when you hold on showing the threat and you’re seeing people’s reaction to a threat, that makes it scarier. And when we do reveal the infected and the Clickers, you get to see what brought down humanity and why everyone is so scared.’
The Last of Us premieres on Monday January 16 on Sky Atlantic and NOW.
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