“Yellowjackets” star Melanie Lynskey is no stranger to fighting for survival. And it looks like she’s set to do more of it in HBO’s upcoming series “The Last of Us.”
On Monday, HBO released the first teaser for its series based on the PlayStation video game of the same name. Fans of the Naughty Dog horror game could recognize some of the main characters portrayed by the show’s stars, including Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey, Anna Torv and Gabriel Luna, but HBO’s intense trailer introduced a new face.
While Pascal’s Joel pummels an unknown man and Ramsey’s Ellie crawls in a dark space, a stern-faced Lynskey appears out of a crowd.
“Surprise!,” the Emmy-nominated actor said in a retweet of the trailer.
Lynskey’s tweet confirming her casting added to the excitement around the already highly anticipated adaptation, which will premiere in 2023.
“It’s Lynksey season b—,” one Twitter fan said, retweeting the actor’s post.
“IVE NEVER BEEN MORE EXCITED IN MY LIFE,” replied another Twitter user.
Neil Druckmann, who created the original video game and serves as writer and executive producer on the series, replied to Lynskey, “you crushed your episodes!
“Can’t wait for people to see your character,” he added, using an emoji with its lips zipped.
HBO confirmed that Lynskey will portray Kathleen, “the ruthless leader of a revolutionary movement in Kansas City.” The network confirmed that the “Heavenly Creatures” actor will appear in more than one episode of the debut season’s 10.
“The Last of Us” will draw heavily from the original 2014 video game. Pascal’s hardened survivor Joel must smuggle the 14-year-old Ellie (Ramsey), who is the key to curing a deadly fungus, across the country. Together, they will face the undead, desperate but dangerous human survivors to reach the cure-searching organization known as the Fireflies.
Lynskey comes to “The Last of Us” after her Emmy-nominated turn as Shauna in Showtime’s “Yellowjackets.” Her recent television credits include “Candy,” “Mrs. America” and “Castle Rock.”