The Last of Us movie is in the making, so naturally, now is the best time for speculation on who is going to be cast as Ellie and Joel. Here are our top picks.
In 2014 Sony announced that Screen Gems, a division of Sony Pictures, was working on a film adaptation of best selling video game The Last of Us. The script is being written by the game director himself, Neil Druckmann, and the movie will be directed by Sam Raimi (The Evil Dead and Spider-Man trilogy).
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Not much has been disclosed since the announcement. Maybe they are waiting for The Last of Us Part II to launch before they reveal any more information. But that’s not going to stop me from speculating… at least on The Last of Us movie cast!
I have put together a list of 12 a-list actors (6 for Joel and 6 for Ellie) that I think are perfect and could be cast for the roles. I have excluded Ellen Page and Ashley Johnson because they aren’t age appropriate for the role today, but I think I’ve found the perfect alternatives.
Travis Fimmel
I’ve got to kick this list off with an Aussie. Travis Fimmel is known for his role as Ragnar Lothbrok on Vikings. He has proven his manly grit and big bleeding heart on the show. Fans are shocked that he was never nominated for an Emmy Award for his portrayal of the Viking lord.
Battle-hardened viking warrior and a kind, loving and caring, father. In a sense, you could say that Travis played the Nordic version of Joel in Vikings. I couldn’t help but think of Joel and his daughter whenever saw Ragnar with Gyda. Keep clicking to the end, and you will see exactly what I mean.
Jake Gyllenhaal
Jake Gyllenhaal is no stranger to the Hollywood spotlight. He was even voted sexiest man two years in a row after his controversial performance along side the late-and-great Heath Ledger in Brokeback Mountain.
However, it was his role as a vengeful father in Nocturnal Animals that won him a spot on this – desired cast – list.
Zac Efron
I know… you are probably confused as to why Zac Efron is on this list. Well, I think Zac has definitely proven he can take on any role after playing Ted Bundy in Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile.
Chris Evans
When I say Chris Evans I assumed your mind jumps immediately to Captain America. Well, not for me. It was a combination of two roles that put him as front runner for the role of Joel; Snowpiercer and Gifted.
Combine the post-apocalyptic bad-ass in Snowpiercer with the determined father that is willing to go through hell to win custody of his daughter (McKenna Grace) in Gifted and you’ve got Joel.
Keanu Reeves
Honestly, is there a movie that we don’t want to see Keanu Reeves in? The shocking thing is, he would actually be perfect for the part. It’s not hard to imagine Keanu as Joel.
The problem might be that this story hits a bit close to home for Keanu. Joel’s back-story is but a drop in the pond compared to what Keanu Reeves tragic life. But we’d still love to see him as Joel in The Last of Us movie.
Hugh Jackman
I don’t think much needs to be said about this. It is obvious that Joel’s character was inspired by Hugh Jackman. Anyone who has seen him as Wolverine or Logan would definitely agree.
Next up the role of Ellie. Click to see the top 6 actresses we feel would nail the part, and a bonus slide for who should play Joel’s daughter.
Rowan Blanchard
Rowan Blanchard may seem like a bad fit for the role of Ellie. She grew up right in front of our eyes on Disney’s Girl Meets World. We got to see her quirky, goofy and optimistic side but there’s a lot more to her than that.
She’s 17 now and has made name for herself as being one of the power figures in feminism.
Hailee Steinfeld
Hailee Steinfeld is another great candidate for the role. If you haven’t seen her in True Grit I recommend you do yourself a favour and watch it the second you can. Despite working with such big names like Matt Damon and Jeff Bridges she still managed to steal the show.
Ashley Elizabeth Gerasimovich
Ashley Elizabeth plays the smarter twin in the laugh-out-loud comedy hit series, The Detour. Her abrasive yet cheeky demeanor and sharp wit, and, uuh, off-beat sense of humour is definitely up there with Ellie’s.
She also kind of looks like a younger Ashley Johnson, don’t you think?
Isabelle Furhman
There’s no doubt in my mind that Isabelle Furhman would kill it as Ellie. At 22 she already has one of the most impressive portfolios. Bagging parts in big features like The Hunger Games, Orphan and most recently Hounddog means that she has had the privilege of working along side some of the most renowned people in the industry.
McKenna Grace
At 12 McKenna Grace is the youngest starlet on this list, but that doesn’t mean she is any less deserving of the role. They probably wont commence filming for The Last of Us until 2021, that means that McKenna Grace will be 14; the same age as Ellie was in the first video game.
It was combination of McKenna’s performances that earned her a spot on this list. Specifically her role as young Tonya Harding (I, Tonya), young Sabrina Spellman (The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina) and Mary Adler in Gifted.
Fun fact: It was her stand-out performance with Chris Evans on Gifted that helped him earn a spot on the list. She was also nominated for Best Young Actress at the Critics Choice Awards, 2018, for this role.
It would be great to see them reunite as Ellie and Joel in The Last of Us movie!
Sophia Lillis
If filming was to start today and casting was up to me, I would definitely go with Sophia Lillis. Everything about her just screams Ellie! She reminded me a lot of a young Ellen Page in Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase – and it’s no secret that Ellie’s character was based on Ellen Page, duuh. She also has that adorable tomboyish androgynous look about her which is Ellie in a nutshell.
Well, that’s it for my list of actors who could potentially play Ellie, but I still have one bonus slide for you if you are interested; who should play Joel’s daughter in The Last of Us movie.
And Ruby O’Leary as Joel’s daughter
First of all, wow. Is this not the same girl? Were Naughty Dog perhaps inspired by this character and the bond she had with her father?
Ruby O’Leary played Gyda in Vikings. Gyda was the daughter of Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel) before he lost her to the plague. The bond between two of the actors on screen is about as real as you can get, and for that reason I thought of Joel and Sarah. But words aren’t enough to describe the connection… watch for yourself.
If this isn’t enough to convince you that both Travis Fimmel and Ruby O’Leary deserve a spot on this list, I don’t know what is.
If it was entirely your call, who would you cast as Ellie and Joel in The Last of Us movie?
