“The Last of Us” has found its Dina, and Isabela Merced is taking part in the second season of the hit HBO series.
“Dina is warm, brilliant, fierce, funny, moral, dangerous and instantly lovable,” said series co-creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann. “You can look forever for an actor who can effortlessly embody all of these things, or you can find Isabela Merced right away. We couldn’t be prouder to have her in our family.”
Merced joins Kaitlyn Dever and Beef star Young Mazino as the third new cast member to be announced in recent days.
Dina is described as “a free spirit whose devotion to Ellie is tested by the brutality of the world in which they live.”
Merced has appeared in numerous films in recent years, including “Rosaline” alongside Dever. Her other film credits include the title role in the live-action feature film “Dora and the Lost City of Gold,” as well as “Instant Family” with Mark Wahlberg and Rose Byrne, the “Father of the Bride” remake at Max, “Sicario.” : Day of the Soldado” and “Transformers: The Last Knight”. She also has a number of high-profile film roles lined up, including Hawkgirl in Superman: Legacy, a role in Alien: Romulus and a lead role in Madame Web.
She is represented by CAA and Peikoff Mahan.
“The Last of Us” is based on the hit video game of the same name by Druckmann and developed by Naughty Dog. The official description states: “The story takes place twenty years after the destruction of modern civilization. Joel (Pedro Pascal), a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie (Bella Ramsey), a 14-year-old girl, out of a repressive quarantine zone. What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal, heartbreaking journey as both must cross the United States and rely on each other to survive.”
The first season cast also included Gabriel Luna, Anna Torv, Nico Parker, Murray Bartlett, Nick Offerman, Melanie Lynskey, Storm Reid, Merle Dandridge, Jeffrey Pierce, Lamar Johnson, Keivonn Woodard, Graham Greene, Elaine Miles, Ashley Johnson and Troy Baker.
The series was written and produced by Mazin and Druckmann. Both have also directed episodes of the series. Naughty Dog President Carolyn Strauss and Evan Wells will executive produce, along with Asad Qizilbash and Carter Swan of PlayStation Productions and Rose Lam. The series is a co-production between HBO and Sony Pictures Television. PlayStation Productions, Word Games, The Mighty Mint and Naughty Dog produce.
“The Last of Us” proved to be a huge success with both critics and audiences. In addition to the excellent viewership, the series received several nominations for its first season. The film received three Golden Globe nominations and 25 Emmy nominations. While the Primetime Emmy Awards are scheduled to take place on January 15, the show has already won eight Emmys at the Creative Arts Emmys. These include awards for Offerman and Reid for best guest actor and best actress in a drama series, respectively.