Kaitlyn Dever, known for her roles in Booksmart and Justified, has been cast as Abby, a controversial video game character, in season two of HBO’s The Last of Us adaptation. In the video game sequel The Last of Us Part II, Abby is a vengeful soldier who clashes with the main protagonist Ellie.

The creators of the TV series have made another interesting decision in their casting, choosing not to focus on physical similarities to the video game characters. Despite being a fan favorite due to her resemblance to the lead character and her previous role in Uncharted 4, 27-year-old Dever was not chosen to play Ellie. Instead, the showrunners went with 17-year-old Bella Ramsey, who better fits Ellie’s age.

“Our approach to casting for the second season has remained consistent with the first: we seek out exceptional actors who can capture the essence of the characters from the original material,” stated Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, the creators of the series, in a joint press release. “Talent is our top priority, and we are excited to welcome Kaitlyn, along with Pedro, Bella, and the rest of our team, as a highly esteemed addition.”

“The Last of Us” is a post-apocalyptic story about a group of people fighting for survival in a world destroyed by a parasitic fungus that turns its victims into cannibalistic creatures. The main character, Ellie, learns she is immune to the infection and, with her reluctant protector Joel, embarks on a journey across the United States to reach a laboratory working on a cure. Both the video games and TV series have been widely praised and successful.

The game The Last of Us Part II has garnered widespread acclaim and has sold 10 million copies within its first two years. However, the character of Abby faced misogynistic harassment online due to her multifaceted role in the game and received body-shaming comments on gaming forums and social media because of her muscular appearance. The actress who portrayed Abby, Laura Bailey, even received death threats.

The response to the TV show, which received numerous Emmy nominations, has been mostly favorable. Although there were doubts about Ramsey playing Ellie at first, she ultimately excelled in the role and developed a strong and believable connection with Joel, played by Pedro Pascal.

Filming for the second season of The Last of Us is set to commence in the spring, with its first episode projected to air in 2025.

Source: theguardian.com