Although she was originally on many fans’ cast lists to play Ellie in The Last of Us series, Kaitlyn Dever has now officially joined the production in the role of Abby. She joins Pedro Pascal, who plays Joel, and Bella Ramsey, who portrays Ellie in the show.
In the series, Abby is a skilled soldier whose black-and-white view of the world is challenged as she seeks vengeance for those she loved. Along with Ellie, Abby is a playable dual protagonist of The Last of Us Part II video game.
“Our casting process for season two has been identical to season one: we look for world-class actors who embody the souls of the characters in the source material,” said The Last of Us co-creators, writers, executive producers, and directors Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann.
“Nothing matters more than talent, and we’re thrilled to have an acclaimed performer like Kaitlyn join Pedro, Bella, and the rest of our family.”
Kaitlyn Dever has previously worked with Naughty Dog, the creators of The Last of Us games. She played the young Cassie Drake in the company’s 2016 release, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End.
Season two of The Last of Us series is expected to go into production in February and should return to HBO and Max in 2025. While the first season was filmed in Calgary, the second season will be filmed in Vancouver.
The 27-year-old Kaitlyn Dever is known for such series as Justified, Last Man Standing, Unbelievable, and Dopesick. Her film credits include Them That Follow, Booksmart, Rosaline, and No One Will Save You.
The Last of Us series takes place 20 years after modern civilization has been destroyed. Joel, a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie, a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone. What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal and heartbreaking journey as they both must traverse the U.S. and depend on each other for survival.
Season one stars Pedro Pascal as Joel, Bella Ramsey as Ellie, Gabriel Luna as Tommy, Anna Torv as Tess, Nico Parker as Sarah, Murray Bartlett as Frank, Nick Offerman as Bill, Melanie Lynskey as Kathleen, and Storm Reid as Riley.
The cast also includes Merle Dandridge as Marlene, Jeffrey Pierce as Perry, Lamar Johnson as Henry, Keivonn Woodard as Sam, Graham Greene as Marlon, and Elaine Miles as Florence. The game’s voice actors, Ashley Johnson and Troy Baker, also star.
The Last of Us, based on the critically acclaimed video game of the same name developed by Naughty Dog for the PlayStation platforms, is written and executive produced by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann.
The series is a co-production with Sony Pictures Television and is executive produced by Carolyn Strauss, Evan Wells, Asad Qizilbash, Carter Swan, and Rose Lam. The production companies are PlayStation Productions, Word Games, The Mighty Mint, and Naughty Dog.
Mirko Parlevliet has been reporting on the entertainment industry since 1998 and founded Vital Thrills in 2018 to cover the latest news on streaming, movies, TV, and video games.