Craig Mazin, the writer of HBO’s The Last of Us adaptation, promises to stay faithful to the video game’s characterization of the protagonist, Ellie, as a lesbian. HBO announced the adaptation was in development with Mazin and Neil Druckmann (who is also the writer and creative director of the game) attached as executive producers and writers of the pilot. Mazin was the writer and producer of the highly acclaimed miniseries Chernobyl, which was a ratings hit for HBO.

The Last of Us is an immensely popular survival/horror title from Sony and developer Naughty Dog. Initially released in 2013, the game sold 1.3 million copies in its first week and over 17 million as of 2018. The story follows a criminal named Joel and a teenager named Ellie as they attempt to cross the cannibalistic mutant-infested U.S. in the aftermath of a deadly pandemic. Ellie’s sexuality played a large part in DLC released for the game, which revealed she is gay during flashback sequences showing the character kissing her friend Riley. Critics and fans praised the portrayal of Ellie’s sexuality without any stereotypes weighing it down, and progressive gamers widely celebrated the prominent inclusion of a gay lead character in a blockbuster video game franchise.

CBR spotted a tweet from Mazin confirming he intends to keep Ellie a lesbian in HBO’s The Last of Us adaptation. A fan of the games asked Mazin to “keep the gay gay” and not “erase that representation,” referring to Ellie’s character. Mazin replied, “You have my word.” A few tweets later, another fan noted that Mazin’s initial reply was now evidence of his promise to which Mazin agreed, “Correct. It is a receipt.”

Naughty Dog plans on releasing The Last of Us Part II on May 29. The sequel reunites Joel and Ellie (and other returning favorites) five years after the first game in Jackson, Wyoming. Additionally, the game will introduce Dina, voiced by actress Shannon Woodward, as a potential love interest for Ellie. Woodward joins actors Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson, who provide voices and motion capture for Joel and Ellie, respectively.

HBO’s The Last of Us will probably tackle the first game’s story during the show’s inaugural season. Mazin’s promise to keep the character a lesbian suggests some of the DLC’s content might make it into the adaptation as well. Then again, Mazin and Druckmann could jettison everything except for the games’ basic premise and characters, opting to craft a story unfamiliar even to die-hard fans of the games. The Last of Us series was just announced, and production hasn’t started yet, but fans hoping for a feature film are certainly excited the game is getting the series treatment. With a second game due out in just a few months, fans can get a glimpse at what might be in store for future seasons of the show.

More: The Last of Us Part I & II: How Their Zombies are Based on Real-Life Undead

Source: Craig Mazin via Twitter, CBR