
The Last of Us season 2 is already making waves in the streaming space in terms of accessibility.
The Emmy-winning drama series will now be available to stream on Max in American Sign Language (ASL), as performed by CODA and Dancing With the Star‘s Daniel Durant and Leila Hanaumi. Hanaumi previously gave us the ASL version of Barbie on Max. This marks the first time a streaming platform will offer ASL versions of a major show alongside episode premieres, and it will be the first time HBO programming will be available to stream in ASL on Max.
The move continues Max’s efforts to provide more accessible viewing options for subscribers after giving us ASL versions of Barbie, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. However, it also feels like a continuation of the efforts made in The Last of Us Part II video game, on which season 2 of The Last of Us is based.
The 2020 game from Naughty Dog offered an array of accessibility options so that deaf and blind players could still participate in the experience. This included expanded options for vision, hearing, camera assistance, lock-on aim, as well as the option to completely customize the controls away from button pushing.
ASL versions of The Last of Us season 1 episodes will be available on Max starting Friday, March 31. The first ASL episode of The Last of Us season 2 will be available to stream alongside the premiere on Sunday, April 13 at 9 p.m. ET.
HBO
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Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey return as Joel and Ellie. Set five years after the events of season 1, the pair maintain an uneasy relationship after settling down in the Jackson community run by Maria (Rutina Wesley), the wife of Joel’s brother, Tommy (Gabriel Luna). The arrival of a mysterious group led by Abby (Kaitlyn Dever), a vengeance-seeking soldier, disrupts their hard-earned peace.
Written and executive produced by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, The Last of Us will also feature Isabela Merced, Young Mazino, Ariela Barer, Tati Gabrielle, Spencer Lord, Danny Ramirez, Jeffrey Wright, Catherine O’Hara, Joe Pantoliano, Robert John Burke, Noah Lamanna, Alanna Ubach, Ben Ahlers, and Hettienne Park.
“We are thrilled to expand our ASL program and debut our first HBO Original series in ASL with The Last of Us,” Naomi Waibel, SVP of Global Product Management at WBD, said in a statement. “This debut brings the show to life in an authentic and fully accessible way for Deaf audiences and is another meaningful step towards our goal of offering an inclusive streaming experience.”
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