HBO Max Shakeup Has Fans Concerned Over Possible Cancellation for 'The Last of Us'

The fate of HBO's adaptation of Naughty Dog and PlayStation's The Last of Us may be hanging in limbo. Amid a week of shakeups at HBO Max, including reports of dropped titles and a possible merge with Discovery+, many fans are now concerned that The Last of Us could be canceled.

Concern surrounding series' future was first prompted this week when it was confirmed on Tuesday that Warner Bros. Discovery decided not to release Batgirl, a DC Comics film, despite its $90 million budget and the fact that the movie had already finished shooting and was slated to drop on HBO Max. Just a day later, Scoob!: Holiday Haunt, a holiday-themed sequel to the 2020 Scooby-Doo movie, was also canceled despite nearly being completed. That same day, many HBO Max subscribers noticed that six Warner Bros. movies released exclusively to HBO Max were removed. The confusing string of cancellations and removals, which reportedly boiled down to finances, coincided with rumors that HBO Max and Discovery+ are slated to merge, with sources telling The Wrap that such a move would likely result in mass layoffs. Now fans are concerned that The Last of Us could be the next major shakeup to break.

The series, based on the hit video game of the same name, was first confirmed to be in the works back in 2020. The story takes place 20 years following the end of modern civilization and follows Pedro Pascal's Joel, a hardened survivor tormented by his own past trauma and failure, who is hired to smuggle 14-year-old Ellie, portrayed by Bella Ramsey, out of an oppressive quarantine zone. The series is also set to star Anna Torv, TLOU voice actress Merle Dandrige, Nick Offerman, Nico Parker, Gabriel Luna, Jeffrey Pierce, and Murray Bartlett.Keep scrolling to see what social media is saying.