HBO is set to debut “The Last of Us,” a TV series based on the popular video game, this upcoming Sunday, and Whip Media data suggests the show could be a major hit – with the firm pegging it as the most anticipated new series of 2023.
According to Whip Media’s anticipation data, the TV show is slated to have the second strongest opening for an HBO series in more than two years, behind only “The House of the Dragon” – the highly popular Game of Thrones prequel series released in 2022.
Based on users “following” the series ahead of the January 15 premiere (via Whip Media’s movie and TV tracking app, TV Time, which collects data from more than 24 million users) “The Last of Us” is the most anticipated new TV series of 2023 amongst all shows with a set release date for the year.
Whip Media also said that fan anticipation for the series beats out other well-known names debuting in 2023 including “Secret Invasion” on Disney+ as well as “Ashoka” and “Ironheart.”
Compared to other SVOD originals based on video game IP, Whip noted “The Last of Us” is “tracking well ahead” of familiar names in terms of respective follower trends at the same point in time in the lead up to release dates, including “Halo” and “Arcane.”
Whip’s anticipation data has hit the mark before, having pegged Netflix’s “Wednesday” as poised to be a fan favorite ahead of its release. The horror-comedy based on the Addams Family character ended up reeling in major views for Netflix. After debuting on November 23, it clinched a top spot as now the streamer’s Number 2 most popular English-language show based on hours viewed in the first 28 days (only behind Stranger Things 4) with 1.19 billion hours. The "Wednesday" series has spent seven weeks in the top 10 TV shows on the SVOD platform (six of which it was number one), and has been officially renewed for a second season.
On Sunday “The Last of Us” will debut on HBO and HBO Max, starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey.
The new series comes as HBO owner Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) has been working to right-size its content spend and programming strategy, which last year included canceling some projects such as “Batgirl” and removing certain series including “West World” from its streaming platform, in some cases to find homes elsewhere. As a result of its strategic assessment of content programming under a larger cost savings effort, WBD expects $2.8 billion to $3.5 billion in pre-tax restructuring charges related to content impairment and development write-offs, per a revised December 8-K filing with the SEC.
It also comes as WBD is gearing up to launch a new streaming service this spring that combines HBO Max and Discovery+ into one yet-to-be named platform. Pricing and exact launch timing for the service haven’t been disclosed.