The Emmy-winning HBO series "The Last of Us", based on the video games by developer Naughty Dog, is bringing in prominent reinforcements for the third season: Peter Sarsgaard (55) takes on the role of Amon, a leader of a religious sect in and around Seattle. This is reported by the US magazine "Entertainment Weekly".

What's remarkable is that the character Amon doesn't appear in the game at all. The games include "The Last of Us", which was released for PlayStation in 2013, "The Last of Us Part II", released in 2020, as well as the accompanying stories in other media. Sarsgaard was most recently seen in "The Batman" and "The Bride!", among others.

Season three tells the story primarily from Abby's perspective

As already hinted at in the season two finale, the new season jumps back a few days in time - to the arrival of Ellie (Bella Ramsey, 22) and Dina (Isabela Merced, 24) in Seattle. The two are searching for Abby (Kaitlyn Dever, 29), the woman who killed Ellie's adoptive father Joel (Pedro Pascal, 51). The plot now unfolds primarily from Abby's perspective and further expands the world being told.

Viewers were already introduced to the Seraphites in season two. The sect is currently at war with the Washington Liberation Front, also called "Wolves" - a militarized group of survivors led by the ruthless Isaac (Jeffrey Wright, 60).

These stars are also part of the cast

During Abby's journey through Seattle, additional Seraphites appear, most prominently the siblings Yara (Michelle Mao, 27) and Lev (Kyriana Kratter, 16). "The Faculty" star Clea Duvall (48) portrays another member of the sect, though her identity has not yet been confirmed. The third season cast also includes Patrick Wilson (52), Jason Ritter (46), and Jorge Lendeborg Jr. (30).

Filming on pause

Production of the series, which is being filmed in Vancouver, is currently in a planned hiatus: The stop was unavoidable due to the World Cup, which has taken over the region and now makes filming at original locations more difficult.

In Germany, "The Last of Us" can be seen via HBO Max as well as Sky and its streaming service Wow.