HBO's Last Of Us Series Is Tender And Human, Actor Says

Murray Bartlett, who plays Frank in the upcoming The Last of Us TV series, has commented on the upcoming drama. Speaking to Collider, Bartlett praised the scripts and cast in particular.

"The scripts that I had to work with, one particular script is one of the best hours of television I've ever read. It's beautiful. It's beautifully written," he said. "There are these zombie creatures in it, but it's tender and it's human. I think it's gonna be really special. I haven't seen any of it yet, but I'm really proud of the work we did and I think it could be really, really wonderful. It will be really wonderful."

Bartlett doesn't describe himself as a gamer and he hasn't played The Last of Us, but he said he did a "deep dive on what the game is" and found it to be very cinematic in nature.

"The characters are really fantastic. It's an amazing, complicated story with really deep themes in it. It's an amazing creation. They've really beautifully adapted all of those elements into this show. It's an incredible team," he said. "They've put a lot of love and resources behind it. I think it's gonna be a fantastic show."

Bartlett was a standout star in the first season of HBO's The White Lotus, portraying the hotel manager who pooped in a suitcase in a very memorable scene.

HBO's The Last of Us debuts January 15. In addition to Bartlett as Frank, the series features Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey as Ellie, along with Nick Offerman as Bill. Check out the newest trailer above.

The Last of Us TV series follows the events of the first game, taking place 20 years after civilization has been decimated by a virus. Joel (Pedro Pascal) is hired to sneak Ellie (Bella Ramsey) out of a quarantine zone and to safety. "What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal, heartbreaking journey, as they both must traverse the U.S. and depend on each other for survival," HBO said.

Craig Mazin, who wrote The Hangover sequels and Chernobyl, is writing The Last of Us TV show alongside Neil Druckmann from game developer Naughty Dog. Mazin also wrote the upcoming Borderlands movie.

As for the Last of Us game franchise, a new standalone multiplayer game is in the works and it might be a free-to-play title.