Reader TTS

Kaitlyn Dever (_Dopesick_) has joined HBO‘s breakout hit _The Last of Us_. She is one three major cast additions for the upcoming second season of the post-apocalyptic drama, based on the

video game of the same name developed by Naughty Dog for PlayStation. Dever will play the most prominent new Season 2 character, Abby, joining series’ stars Pedro Pascal, who plays Joel, and

Bella Ramsey, who is Ellie. When it was revealed that ___The Last of Us_‘ second season will be based on the 2020 _The Last of Us Part II_, fans’ attention immediately focused on Abby, one

of the game’s two playable central characters alongside Ellie. Dever’s name emerged as the frontrunner for the role soon after the end of the SAG-AFTRA strike in November. She eventually

closed a deal with HBO, which is co-producing the series with Sony Pictures Television. WATCH ON DEADLINE Dever’s Abby is a skilled soldier whose black-and-white view of the world is

challenged as she seeks vengeance for those she loved. In the game, the character was portrayed by Laura Bailey. “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 Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, _The Last of Us_‘ co-creators, writers, executive producers and

directors. “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.” _The Last of Us’_ story takes

place twenty years after modern civilization has been destroyed. Joel (Pascal), a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie (Ramsey), a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine

zone. What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal, heartbreaking journey, as they both must traverse the U.S. and depend on each other for survival. The cast of Season 1, which was shot

in Calgary, Alberta, also included Gabriel Luna as Tommy, Anna Torv as Tess, Nico Parker as Sarah, Murray Bartlett as Frank, Nick Offerman as Bill, Melanie Lynskey as Kathleen, Storm Reid

as Riley, Merle Dandridge as Marlene, Jeffrey Pierce as Perry, Lamar Johnson as Henry, Keivonn Woodard as Sam, Graham Greene as Marlon, Elaine Miles as Florence, Ashley Johnson as Anna, and

Troy Baker as James. As Deadline revealed in March, Season 2 will be filmed in Vancouver as a significant part of the story in _The Last of Us Part II _video game is set in the Pacific

Northwest. Production is slated to begin in February. _The Last of Us _is written and executive produced by Mazin and Druckmann. Carolyn Strauss, Evan Wells, Asad Qizilbash, Carter Swan, and

Rose Lam also executive produce. Coming off the Creative Arts portion of the 2023 Emmy Awards,_ The Last of Us_ topped the list of winners with eight trophies, including Guest Actor In a

Drama Series awards for Offerman and Reid. Dever is known for her roles in the sitcom _Last Man Standing_, the film_ Booksmart_ as well as the limited series _Unbelievable, _which earned her

a Critics Choice and Golden Globe nominations, and _Dopesick_, which landed her an Emmy, Critics Choice and Globe nominations. She is repped by UTA and Felker Toczek Suddleson Abramson

McGinnis Ryan.