Another director joins the crew. Considering the subject matter, it seems like he’ll fit right in.
As reported by the Hollywood Reporter, Kantemir Balagov, a Russian filmmaker behind the lauded Beanpole, has been selected to direct the pilot for HBO’s adaptation of The Last of Us. Based on the Naughty Dog video game series for the Sony PlayStation line of consoles, the series is being helmed by Craig Mazin (Chernobyl) and Neil Druckmann (The Last of Us and its sequel). Now, Balagov will be joining them, for at least one episode.
Known for Beanpole, a World War II-era drama that won him the Un Certain Regard award for best director, and Closeness, which was well-liked at Cannes in 2017, Balagov seems to be familiar with directing bleak, stark and mildly strange stories. This seems a good fit for the unremittingly grim world of The Last of Us, and suggests that the tone of the games will be followed pretty faithfully.
Produced by Sony, the series is currently under development at HBO. Release date not yet announced.
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