Just How Big Was HBO's The Last of Us Budget?
HBO is not exactly known for cheap shows — and the iconic video game's adaptation is no exception.
It seems that HBO's The Last of Us is on track to join the list of the world's most expensive TV shows. While HBO does not officially disclose the budgets, a report by New Yorker suggested that the video game adaptation received even more money than each of the first five seasons of Game of Thrones.
The seasons in question enjoyed a budget between $6 to $8 million per episode. At the beginning of season 6, the figures rose to $10 million per episode, later getting close to the price tag of $15 million per episode.
Well, the post-apocalyptic drama is on track to exceed that, even though the reports do not clarify just how big the budget for The Last of Us actually is.
With the first season consisting of nine episodes, it means that the show's budget is reportedly at least $90 million.
It certainly puts The Last of Us on a list of the world's most expensive TV shows, even though the price tag is lower than, say, MCU 's budgets of $25 million per episode in shows like WandaVision or Moon Knight, or Stranger Things ' $30 million per episode budgets.
On top of the list is Amazon Prime's Lord of the Rings prequel, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, with its whopping budget of $58 million per episode.
The Last of Us premiered on HBO Max on January 15, with episode 2 to release on January 22. It received a warm welcome from both video game lovers and new fans, while critics have already proclaimed it "HBO's next big hit."