The 1987 versions of Mel Gibson and Jennifer Connelly play Joel and Ellie in a retro AI trailer reimagining The Last of Us as an HBO movie.
The Last of Us, of course, is a big hit for HBO and its streaming service Max. The small screen adaptation of the blockbuster Naughty Dog video game kicked off in 2023 with a nine-episode season starring Pedro Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsey as Ellie and returned for its seven-episode second season on April 13.
The Last of Us series follows the survivors of a global pandemic following an outbreak of the Cordyceps fungal infection that turns victims into zombie-like creatures. At the beginning of the series, Joel is tasked with smuggling Ellie, who is immune to the disease — outside of the quarantine zone in a future dilapidated United States.
Season 2 of The Last of Us is set five years after the first and sees the tragic demise of Joel in an act of revenge by Abby (Kaitlyn Dever).
In a new artificial intelligence-generated retro-style VHS trailer on YouTube posted over the weekend, content creator Multiverse of Movies reimagined version of The Last of Us as a 1987 movie release on HBO.
In its description of the faux 1 minute and 24 second trailer, Multiverse of Movies notes, “What if The Last of Us wasn’t a modern prestige HBO series … but a gritty, synth-drenched action drama from 1987 by HBO?
“Experience Joel and Ellie’s journey like never before — in glorious VHS quality. Starring Mel Gibson, Jennifer Connelly, and Christopher Walken, this retro reimagining blends post-apocalyptic chaos with 80s-style action.”
See The Last of Us ‘80s-style retro movie trailer below.
‘The Last of Us’ Trailer Also Features The Younger Version Of Several Major Stars
While the AI trailer imagining a 1987 version of The Last of Us as an HBO movie is impressive enough with its rendering of Mel Gibson and Jennifer Connelly in the roles of Joel and Ellie, it also populates the post-apocalyptic landscape with the younger versions of several other major stars, circa the 1980s.
The faux movie trailer of The Last of Us features characters from the first and second seasons of the series. The all-star lineup imagines Christopher Walken as David, Linda Hamilton as Abby, Sigourney Weaver as Tess, Patrick Swayze as Tommy, John Goodman as Bill, Kevin Kline as Frank and Angela Bassett as Marlene.
Additionally, the AI trailer features Rae Dawn Chong as Maria, Glenn Close as Kathleen, Lisa Bonet as Riley, Denzel Washington as Henry, Emmanuel Lewis as Sam, Carl Weathers as Isaac and Jennifer Beals as Dina.
Of course, if you want to see the actual screen version of The Last of Us, Season 1 and Season 2 of the series — through Episode 6 — are on HBO and streaming on Max. The season finale of The Last of Us premieres this Sunday, May 25.
