The Last of Us continues to reach new heights. And the Joel actor from the HBO series, Pedro Pascal, has greatly benefitted too. Before the series happened, there were initial plans to make a movie which would’ve been produced by the legendary Sam Raimi. Although that ultimately didn’t happen, people beyond the gaming community still got to experience the story of arguably one of the best survival horror games ever made. Now as we approach the year end, Google’s latest stats have shed light on the mind-blowing impact of the series. The Last of Us season 1 was among the most searched TV shows in 2023, while Pedro Pascal was among the most searched actors.
PlayStation Productions approached Craig Mazin as he expressed his disappointment that the adaptation was initially planned as a film. Naughty Dog then decided to go with the TV series route and they pitched the television series to HBO. It then went on to become one of the most successful video game tv adaptations. And its impact has been such that Pedro Pascal was among the top 10 people and actors trending in 2023, while The Last of Us was among the top 5 tv shows. Let’s dive deeper to find out where they ranked.
The world loves The Last of Us and Pedro Pascal
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The Last of Us and Pedro Pascal were amongst the highest searched terms on Google. The traffic to these keywords has been so high that they were included in the Top 10 Worldwide Google Searches 2023. According to Google’s global search trends for 2023, Pedro Pascal is #5 on the list of 10 most searched actors, ahead of some huge names like Brendan Fraser and Jamie Foxx. On the other hand, TLOU was the most searched TV show.
The Last of Us got the win for the Best Adaptation during The Game Awards 2023. This fueled the popularity and limelight for the show and Pedro Pascal. Things don’t stop there for the actor with his identity as Joel.
TLOU was nominated for the 2024 Golden Globes for Best Television Series-Drama. Meanwhile, Pedro pascal was nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama. Further, his co-star, co-lead and also Game of Thrones Alum, Bella Ramsey, was nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a TV Series – Drama.
Pedro Pascal is currently working on Drive-Away Dolls, a comedy releasing in February 2024, and Freaky Tales, set for a January release. Further, he is starring in Gladiator 2, which will come out in November 2024. The Mandalorian star will also feature in The Uninvited. Meanwhile, his growing popularity can also be attributed to his first big role as Oberyn Martell in the fourth season of Game of Thrones, which remains one of the most successful HBO tv series, followed by his role in The Mandalorian.
With the popularity of both the actor and TV show growing by the day, fans are eagerly anticipating Season 2. While HBO confirmed the second season, the release date is unknown.
Everything we know about the Season 2 of The Last of Us?
The first season of The Last of Us on HBO set viewership records. It became the network’s second-largest debut after House of the Dragon. HBO promptly ordered a second season after just two episodes of the first season. And soon, show creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann confirmed in an interview that they had already mapped out season 2. The first episode has already been written, and the script has been submitted to HBO for review.
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Season 2 will bring Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal back to their roles as Ellie and Joel. The series has received multiple Emmy nominations, promising an even more significant impact in Season 2.
With the exception of few details, Season 1 remained faithful to the 2013 game. Now, Season 2 will be based on The Last of Us Part II. The show creators have already confirmed that it will take more than a season to tell the events of the second game, so it will be interesting to see how much of the story season 2 will cover. With production set to start in Feb 2024, season 2 will likely come out in early 2025, although a confirmation is impending.
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One thing is for sure. The popularity of TLOU and Pedro Pascal will only continue to rise. It will be interesting to see what 2024 has in store for the actor.
Watch This Story: The Last of Us Showrunner Reveals Heading Straight to New Prospects With Season Two
