The Last of Us: TV adaptation casts Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey as Joel and Ellie

Series will be based on Naughty Dog's acclaimed video game franchise

HBO's TV adaptation of the hit video game The Last of Us has cast Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey in its two lead roles.

The Last of Us, released on PS3 in 2013, was set in a post-apocalyptic US, which has been ravaged by a fungus which turns people into zombie-like husks known as the "infected".

The game focused on the story of Joel, a jaded middle-aged survivor who finds a new lust for life as he escorts Ellie, a teenager with a unique immunity to the fungus, across the country.

The Last of Us, and its 2020 sequel The Last of Us Part II, are widely considered two of the best video games ever made.

Pascal has been cast in the role of Joel. The actor is best known for his lead roles in The Mandalorian and in the Netflix series Narcos.

Read more: The Last of Us Part II is a bleak and beautiful triumph

Ramsey, meanwhile, will play Ellie. She is best known for playing Lyanna Mormont in Game of Thrones.

Pascal celebrated the announcement on Twitter, sharing a quote from the game: "No matter what, you keep finding something to fight for."

Neil Druckmann, the writer-director of the Last of Us video games, also reacted to the casting news, writing: "We're absolutely thrilled to have Bella join the TLoU family.... Aaaaand there’s the other half. Stoked to have Pedro aboard our show!"

The Last of Us TV adaptation will feature Druckmann as a writer and executive producer, alongside Chernobyl's Craig Mazin.