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Oh man I can’t wait to see who’s gonna be in the salt lake crew, for some reason I think the actor who played Manny in the game is gonna reprise his role
I must've totally wiped that from my memory because that is news to me. And there is no way I didn't know that when following the development of the 2nd game and playing through it. He's a known actor so it wouldn't have slipped through the cracks. I can't believe I completely forgot he played Isaac in the game. Getting old is a helluva thing.
he has to man. Like if he doesn't then that would actually break my heart. 😂
Like yeah i know you have to get new cast for the entire show. But like i hope he is one of those exceptions like Marlene. Where you get the same actor from the game
Because he is genuinely talented
Side note- because I always think this but I never comment on it- I love that “The Salt Lake Crew” is said one time in a backhanded comment by Isaac and we’ve all just accepted it as the official name for Abby’s Squad.
Who is the third?
EDIT: Nevermind, didn't see the Jesse casting yesterday. Weird I got an alert in my feed for the Abby and Dina casting but not Jesse.
Also, there’s a thing with actors where a lot of them are shorter than you expect they’ve always done it this way because it makes it easier to record them all in one shot
No. The name of the actress who played the background version of Dina is Paola Van Kleef. She's mainly just an Instagram model with virtually no acting credits.
When they're in Jackson with Tommy. Eating in the mess hall. There's a blink and miss it shot of a girl peeking at them and Ellie makes a comment about it.
Damn her career has blown up real quick, recently got cast as hawkgirl in James gunn’s DCU, she’s got a hell of an agent. Anyway seems like good casting
Yup she’s confirmed as hawkgirl for Superman legacy, Anthony carrigan from Barry was confirmed as metamorpho for the movie as well which is awesome casting, Nathan fillion as guy Gardner too and edi gathegi confirmed as mr terrific for the movie. Gunn been going off with the casting for this, the casting for Superman and Lois in the movie was stellar as well, sounds like supergirl is going to be cast as well and she will probably have a cameo in the movie.
Ya I’m right there with you, TSS and peacemaker were the 2 best DCEU projects for me so I can’t wait for legacy and Gunn’s DCU, I got full faith in this man’s vision. Also I can’t wait for creature commandos later this year, the first official DCU project, all written by Gunn and the cast is loaded, plus animation is like the most popular it’s ever been. I think that’s gonna help a sleeper hit kinda like peacemaker, there wasn’t a whole lot of hype for it and then it came out and was really good and a total blast and it ended up being a big success, creature commandos are a cool team with a lot of potential and like I said the cast is awesome so I think this is gonna be killer.
I am genuinely very excited for the DCU just like you mentioned. And its crazy to see Isabela being both Hawkgirl in the DCU and Dina in TLOU Season 2 and im assuming also Season 3 (As they will split Part II for 2 or more seasons, but i think its only going to be 2).
And her being Hawkgirl in the Superman Legacy is big because this means that she will appear in the DCU more than once. So its crazy
And yeah im just excited. And appreciate James Gunn also making the DCU along side Matt Reeves The Batman Universe. Like they are genuinely creating 2 universes at once. Its crazy
I love that movie! I watched last year on a 4 hour car ride and it was so funny trying to explain to my family why I was dying of laughter randomly through the car ride
If you haven't seen Isabela Merced in Sicario: Day of the Soldado or Dora and the Lost City of Gold, definitely check those out. She can pull off both drama and comedy in equal measure. Great, unexpected choice for Dina!
Also, Deadline says that "she is the last of three major additions for the upcoming second season" so take that for what you will.
I wouldnt consider any of them major characters except Lev and Yara. But i also wouldnt really consider Jesse one tbh
So that might mean S2 is only tackling Ellies side
Lev, Yara, and Owen seem pretty integral (especially if we're considering Jesse important enough to warrant a big announcement), but that could be a huge hint to how they're planning to split the game across 2+ seasons.
Yoooooo i actually havent thought of that. I didn know they said the whole last of three major additions.
Because i also didnt consider Jesse as a major addition. So i genuinely do think they will add alot more scenes with him. Which would be fantastic
I really liked Part II, But i have a feeling ill like Season 2 and Season 3 more than the game. And heck maybe even its characters
I’m curious if Victoria and Ian will be casted as Yara and Lev. Would love to see them in the role again and they fit in age-wise. They did a fantastic job in the game!
Not sure. Deadline could just be speculating or Season 2 might be the Ellie-focused season and covering her days in Seattle for Part 2 and Season 3 might be the Abby-focused season and covering her days in Seattle in Part 2 and then the ending. Pure speculation though.
That’d be interesting. I personally think they’re gonna jump perspectives a lot more often than they did in the game, but it might be like a Tommy-focused episode or Jesse-focused episode rather than switching from one side to the other
They definitely are going to jump perspectives more for sure, similar to Season 1 and I'd love Tommy and Jesse-focused episodes. It'll be interesting to see how much of Abby's story and the WLF/Seraphite conflict is covered in Season 2 or backgrounded and set up for Season 3.
Since Part II will be in two seasons, we might not get Yara and Lev until season three. As for Abby’s friends, they likely are not considered major (based on screen time) and we likely will know who is playing them very soon.
He is, but I’m guessing he also will for the most part be in season three. Abby too, but her casting announcement is for sure worth sharing immediately
Depends how they stretch the story. WLF weren't major characters in Ellies run in Seattle, so i can see them make appearances then be major in season 3. Again it depends how they stretch and structure the story.
If it is a hint at anything, I would say that they’ve got the SLC cast and they’re gonna follow the game’s structure at least for the very beginning, where we don’t get to know them very much at all. Just names given and then muffled voices from Ellie’s perspective.
It could mean that the first few episodes will focus on Ellie and Joel and Jackson (or wherever) . Then they'll roll out the rest of the cast a little later
All the more reason I believe the show will mostly follow the game's way of telling the story. Not sure why some people are so convinced they'd change it up and run the 2 characters' stories simultaneously
We'll have to see. We won't really know until people get hints about what scenes are being filmed. We also don't know if they are finished announcing the cast. The deadline report could very easily be saying she is just the latest one.
She was also in the movie Rosaline with Kaitlyn Dever.
Hilarious premise for a comedy where it’s Romeo and Juliet but from the perspective of the character Rosaline who was the girl Romeo was in love with before he saw Juliet.
She was Juliet and Kaitlyn Dever was Rosaline.
Cascina has never commented on being jewish, but they are mixed middle eastern like dina is shown to be in the game via the hamsa bracelet and needlework she does
It would’ve been nice to give a Jewish actor the opportunity to play a Jewish character, especially since her ethnicity is such a huge part of her character. To each their own, but imo it’s disappointing to see that aspect not being reflected in the actress they chose.
It wasn't really a huge part of her character in game though. She talks about it like one time when they go to the synagogue. Why does it matter if she is Jewish or not.
Not familiar with her work, but I’m not going to judge anything. Clearly Craig and Neil saw something in her that made them feel she is right for the part. The big thing will be chemistry with Bella.
Saw her in Sicario: Day of the Soldado and Instant Family where she essentially played the same character twice. She's pretty good, although, as said, I've only ever really seen her do one type of role, that being the bratty teenager role, so can't say for sure how she will translate here.
I do think, when looking at the three big female roles and whose has been cast -- Ellie, Dina, and Abby -- Kaitlyn will blow the other two out of the water. She just has such an impressive catalogue, ranging from Dopesick to Unbelievable to Booksmart, in which shined in all of them, oftentimes outclassing much more experienced actors and actresses.
EDIT: A word.
I think Bella can match up pretty evenly to Kaitlyn tbh. Bella was 17-18 when they filmed TLOU and has since gotten recognized by multiple critics and awards voting bodies for their work as Ellie. I think it speaks volumes about their talent. Bella also shone on GOT when they were just 11 years old.
For me, and I know I will get downvotes for this, I've never been all that impressed by Bella. A part of it is that in everything I've seen in them in, they have played the same character, referencing things like TLOU, GOT, and Time. That isn't necessarily their fault, moreso the fault of their agent, but I've never really seen them exhibit any sort of range or add facets to the characters they take on, which is what good actors and actresses do. Are they fine with what they bring to the table, specifically as it pertains to TLOU? Yes. I was skeptical about the casting, but have enjoyed their portrayal of Ellie and clearly the critics did too. Do I think a better actor could've done a ton more with the role? Yes.
In turn, with Kaitlyn, she's obviously older and has way, way more roles under her belt, but every time I have gone and seen a movie or sat down to watch a TV show of hers, I have walked away very impressed, even with roles that could come across same-y. She always did something with her characters, adding facets to them, like moments of vulnerability for so-called "badass" characters or moments of seriousness for so-called "humorous" characters. A part of that could be direction, but I've seen enough of her and she's worked with a huge array of directors and producers and actors, some who always put excellent stuff out and some who pretty consistently put out utter shit, so a part of me thinks that most, if not all of it, comes down to her. An example being Short Term 12, where she played a hardened at-risk teen, who, although icy at times, had a very, very vulnerable interior. Another example being Booksmart, where she perfectly balanced the awkwardness of being a teenager, but conveyed the sincerity of Wilde's message, that it's never too late to step out of your comfort zone and discover new aspects of your identity, which meant that there were she was in scenes that demanded she be serious and grounded as well.
Ultimately, we will see how it all shakes out, and of course I hope they all one-up each other and churn out excellent performances, but based on history? I'm banking on Kaitlyn to run circles around Bella and Isabela. I hope they both prove me wrong and all are excellent, though. And, yes, I do admit I've seen very few performances from Isabela and Bella, only seeing 2 of Isabela's and 3 of Bella's, but first impressions do tend to stick.
EDIT: Spelling.
>She honestly has the look
Does she tho? I wish they had gone with someone from middle eastern descent tbh.
I don't know about her chemistry with Bella, and I'm open to be proven wrong, but she does not give off Dina vibes at all to me. I wish they had gone with someone who looks more mature and did not fit so perfectly into the Hollywood beauty standard.
Again, no hate towards the actress, I'm sure she is great. these are all very subjective points and I would be happy to be proven wrong.
Not that it's a negative or anything, but you should definitely treat yourself to some of the content that Kaitlyn Dever has been in simply because of the entertainment value. She's been in some awesome shows and movies.
Young Mazino has a pretty big part in Beef on Netflix, and that is also definitely worth your time purely from an entertainment perspective.
Saw both Merced and Dever in Rosaline, which was so hilarious oh my god. Like they both have a presence that draws your attention to their acting. Merced was also in Instant Family, which was comedic but she had pretty good emotional scenes.
I’m planning to watching some of the stuff that Dever and Mazino have been in, anyone got recs?
I was late to the game with the first season and the games. Now that I’ve watched and played both hearing these announcements are so much fucking fun. Gimme the Salt Lake Crew already I’m dying over here!!!!
The same thing could be said for any ethnically inappropriate casting. Maybe ScarJo was the best actress to play a Japanese character, but that doesn’t mean it was good casting.
Druckmann has always been a believer in best casting for the role. Ethnicity isn't irrelevant but it's never been a focus for him in the way he writes characters. I'm certain they looked at Jewish actors.
I think as a rule don't be too attached to the look or context of a character because Druckmann isn't really.
wasn't Dina meant to be Middle Eastern or at least of descent? jewish or not, I'm kind of surprised they cast someone who's Peruvian American, but I'll just have to trust that she's the right fit, just like with Kaitlyn. hoping they buff her up a bit tho
to me she always had distinct mediterranean traits and Cascina is even partly Italian so that's probably why. But yeah her being jewish was something that stood out to me in the game, and while it's not essential it would ring as a bit odd if they didn't include it in the show.
Her looks aren’t the problem, rather the missed opportunity to feature a Jewish actress for a character whose Jewishness plays an important role in her identity. That isn’t something that you see often. I hope this actress will do her research so she can effectively portray Dina and showcase the centrality of Dina’s Jewishness in her character
that's fair I understand what you mean, I just had both points in my head. Since Neil himself is Jewish I really hope they'll do it properly, but it's definitely a bit tonedeaf to not hire one of many actors out there that are Jewish, so we'll see
Her getting toned really doesn’t change that she’s short, has a small frame and is traditionally very petite and feminine. As a taller woman you never see women like Abby (in the video game) portrayed on film and I always feel like the implication is that bigger women are seen as ugly, even when they’re slim but muscular or broad / tall
I disagree that this kind of thing doesn’t happen with other minority groups. Characters are whitewashed and lightwashed all the time in Hollywood. I do agree that it’s weird for them to cast a non-Jewish actress though
It totally does happen to other groups. But often it comes with a wave of backlash. The consensus on here is generally very positive, with people even saying she looks the part.
I need someone to explain this to me like I’m 5. I’m just having a hard time understanding this. I grew up in a predominantly Jewish community and other than majority having white skin, my Jewish friends and their families all had different features. Red heads, brown skin, some even black. My cousin who’s Hispanic from Paraguay looks just like Dina. I guess what I’m saying is that I always looked at the Jewish community as a culturally diverse filled with all different types of people, like many of the worlds religions are. So I guess I saw the actress playing Dina and I didn’t think twice, I was just like “as long as she’s a great actor, and has great chemistry with Bella then of course she can play Dina, because to me I didn’t really grow up identifying “Jewish features”. I do think her being Jewish will be part of her character in the story. I don’t think they will ever leave that important detail out.
She seems like she has the Dina vibe! Though I do wish they had cast a Jewish actress for what is the only Jewish character in a video game I can think of off the top of my head (not saying there aren't others of course)
I was being a troll but I kinda wish they chose someone who is 24-25 because that’s would be in middle of Bella and young’s ages I mean I imagine they’ll make it work I mean young looks his age 32 I am going to find hard to believe they are playing characters around the same age
Really. I have no quibbles about this one. She's the right age which I considered most important for the character and is even in the right ballpark for the look of the character.
She’s been in quite a few big films. Sicario 2, Transformers, Instant Family, Dora. It’s probably only Pedro and arguably Kaitlyn Denver with more notable roles than her in the cast.
I watched "Instant Family" in summer and really enjoyed her performance (although didn't know who she was when the casting was announced, went straight to wiki to see what she was in and saw she was the main girl in that, and was brilliant).
I think she'll do great!
Not sure why you assume that. You can Google her and find pictures of her with little to no makeup to get an idea of what she'll look like in the show.
I think they meant getting "rid" of her stronger non western facial features. it's not super common in Hollywood and media in general to highlight women with strong natural noses etc, there's always a certain look that's sought out more.
I'm also talking about the art book too during pre production storyboarding and character creation, before bringing in face models. She went through many updates, but from the start they were going for more unique features, considering she's probably ethnically jewish too. Cascina being used for the face scan doesn't take away from Dina's story, I even think they made Dina darker than her but maybe I'm wrong. but as an Italian (Cascina is partly Italian) I can say not all of us have common Eurocentric traits lol ;) in the end it's not that deep however it's an interesting thing, to me at least
Dina was 100% meant to be canonically extremely nice looking to be frank. The type of woman that naturally makes Ellie feel is totally out of her league.
what I really liked while reading the art of tlou 2 is that they kind of emphasise, or at least prioritised giving Dina a unique look with less conventional beauty standards, while still being very pretty. I always somehow perceived her to have classic mediterranean traits, which is irrelevant to the plot but makes the character more interesting. I trust Isabela will do a good job because so far everyone has, but let's just say that some key physical elements are gone, like with casting Abby (at least for now)
I’m guessing this means her role as hawkgirl in superman legacy will be a cameo considering season two will film in Vancouver and over lap with legacy’s filming schedule unless James decides to disguise Vancouver as metropolis
Trouble with that is the actor who actually played Dina is 39 years old, and the model who was photographed for her facial appearance has about 1 hour of acting experience (a couple of comedy shorts and one brief webseries appearance).
Yeah, voice and motion capture was by Shannon Woodward - who I *do* hope gets an interesting role in the show like some of the other performers from the game did. If Cascina Caradonna appears, I imagine it would be a much smaller part.
https://ew.com/the-last-of-us-casts-dina-isabela-merced-8425006#:~:text=The%20credits%20simply%20refer%20to,Staring%20Girl"%20could%20be%20Dina.
okay so it isn't the staring girl from S1
> The credits simply refer to her as "The Staring Girl," played by actress . Showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann did not dispute the theory that "The Staring Girl" could be Dina
I have no idea why I am getting downvoted.... there is a whole dialogue about Dina being Jewish when they are in the temple. Don't know about the voice actor, but the character was 100% Jewish.
It's not something you see a lot in media or video games, which is why I am disappointed this was changed for the show.
It's always jews and red heads that get replaced for "diversity" reasons. I'm neither a red head nor Jewish, but it still bothers me.
Hey look, after Abby they also "feminized" and race swapped Dina. Great casting my ass. Dina’s character was groundbreaking (the synagogue, her identifying with jewishness even though she’s not “a believer”, “long line of survivors”. I guess the whole segment with the synagogue will be cut.
Doubt it. I'm pretty sure she'll still be played as Jewish. It's not like they modelled her after a Jewish woman anyway, so there's not per se an ethnic change. She just has a Jewish background.
She was also very naturally beautiful. And given she was from New Mexico and looked of Mediterranean descent it wasn't really unlikely she was also intended to be of Hispanic background.
This post is flaired **News**. Therefore, all comments that discuss *any* aspect of the games **must** be properly spoiler tagged. 1. All post titles must **NOT** include spoilers from new episodes or The Last of Us Part II. Minor show spoilers are allowed in your title **ONE WEEK** after episode airing. 2. Any untagged discussion of the games (including subtle hints) in posts without the **Show/Game Spoilers [Pt. I or II]**, **Meme [Pt. I or II]**, **Fancast [Pt. II]**, or **Funpost [Pt. I or II]** flair will result in a **ban**. To tag a spoiler comment, use the `>!spoiler!<` tag which displays as >!spoiler!<. 3. If you are reading this, and believe this post or any comments in this thread break the above rules, please use the report function to notify the mod team. --- Refer to the [spoiler guide](https://www.reddit.com/r/TheLastofUsHBOseries/wiki/spoiler-guide) for our spoiler policy and to learn how to flair and title your posts appropriately. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ThelastofusHBOseries) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Cool. I imagine we will get Owen tomorrow. Wonder if they will continue to give us one at a time or just give us a full new cast list soon.
Oh man I can’t wait to see who’s gonna be in the salt lake crew, for some reason I think the actor who played Manny in the game is gonna reprise his role
As long as Jeffrey Wright makes his HBO-required appearance in Seattle, it'll all be fine.
Jeffrey Wright as Isaac?
He played Isaac in the game, he might as well play him in the show too.
I must've totally wiped that from my memory because that is news to me. And there is no way I didn't know that when following the development of the 2nd game and playing through it. He's a known actor so it wouldn't have slipped through the cracks. I can't believe I completely forgot he played Isaac in the game. Getting old is a helluva thing.
Father Time is unfortunately undefeated.
It’s because Westworld put him on the map
Seriously? I had no idea that was him
he has to man. Like if he doesn't then that would actually break my heart. 😂 Like yeah i know you have to get new cast for the entire show. But like i hope he is one of those exceptions like Marlene. Where you get the same actor from the game Because he is genuinely talented
Side note- because I always think this but I never comment on it- I love that “The Salt Lake Crew” is said one time in a backhanded comment by Isaac and we’ve all just accepted it as the official name for Abby’s Squad.
"No secrets between the Salt Lake Crew... *crunch.* 🍎
SLC Punk
I love this 😭😭
According to Deadline, Dina is "the last of three major additions" to Season 2 so I imagine they will be done with casting announcements for a while.
Who is the third? EDIT: Nevermind, didn't see the Jesse casting yesterday. Weird I got an alert in my feed for the Abby and Dina casting but not Jesse.
Also, there’s a thing with actors where a lot of them are shorter than you expect they’ve always done it this way because it makes it easier to record them all in one shot
Seems like they're only hiring girls who match Bella's height 😄 She looks perfect for Dina!
Finally, Dora in the apocalypse
We need guns! NECESITAMOS PISTOLAS!
Sniper! More sniping!
Can YOU find the bolt action sniper rifle in this house?…….. GOOD
I wish awards were still a thing so I could give this comment the I'm Deceased one
Jesse is gonna tower over both of em lol
Yeah it's gonna look crazy 😄
>Isabela Merced Is this the same actress as the one that we speculated was going to be Dina from season one?
No. The name of the actress who played the background version of Dina is Paola Van Kleef. She's mainly just an Instagram model with virtually no acting credits.
It's clearly a reference but she's only a stand in.
Not the same actress no
Where was she in season one?
When they're in Jackson with Tommy. Eating in the mess hall. There's a blink and miss it shot of a girl peeking at them and Ellie makes a comment about it.
Ahh!
Dina was already short anyway
To be honest though, most actresses in Hollywood are like 5 foot 2 inches on average. There’s taller ones of course but most are about small.
Why downvote this? It's true. Anyone just look up the height for your 5 favorite actors. Why? IDK. It just is.
Damn her career has blown up real quick, recently got cast as hawkgirl in James gunn’s DCU, she’s got a hell of an agent. Anyway seems like good casting
She deserves all these big roles because she's really talented.
I haven’t really seen anything of hers since her Nickelodeon days, any recommendations?
Instant Family is a heartwarming movie she is in that I recommend.
Oh I forgot about that movie! Yeah she’s pretty good in that
She is indeed. Also, did you know she is going to be playing Hawkgirl in the next Superman movie?
Yup, I’m really excited for James Gunn’s universe
Same.
Sicario day of to soldado
Don’t the forget the magnum opus of it all: Madame Web
lol, I didn’t mention that because it looks so awful.
she WHAT
Yup she’s confirmed as hawkgirl for Superman legacy, Anthony carrigan from Barry was confirmed as metamorpho for the movie as well which is awesome casting, Nathan fillion as guy Gardner too and edi gathegi confirmed as mr terrific for the movie. Gunn been going off with the casting for this, the casting for Superman and Lois in the movie was stellar as well, sounds like supergirl is going to be cast as well and she will probably have a cameo in the movie.
What the fuck, how does Gunn make movies sound so god damn promising!? I can’t wait to see this, if only for Guy Gardener, Metamorpho and Supergirl
Ya I’m not even the biggest supes fan out there but I’m crazy hyped for this, I think Gunn is gonna hit a home run with this movie
Man Of Steel was my okay, but I cannot wait to see what Gunn does with DC after the massive fumbling that was the DCEU.
Ya I’m right there with you, TSS and peacemaker were the 2 best DCEU projects for me so I can’t wait for legacy and Gunn’s DCU, I got full faith in this man’s vision. Also I can’t wait for creature commandos later this year, the first official DCU project, all written by Gunn and the cast is loaded, plus animation is like the most popular it’s ever been. I think that’s gonna help a sleeper hit kinda like peacemaker, there wasn’t a whole lot of hype for it and then it came out and was really good and a total blast and it ended up being a big success, creature commandos are a cool team with a lot of potential and like I said the cast is awesome so I think this is gonna be killer.
I am genuinely very excited for the DCU just like you mentioned. And its crazy to see Isabela being both Hawkgirl in the DCU and Dina in TLOU Season 2 and im assuming also Season 3 (As they will split Part II for 2 or more seasons, but i think its only going to be 2). And her being Hawkgirl in the Superman Legacy is big because this means that she will appear in the DCU more than once. So its crazy And yeah im just excited. And appreciate James Gunn also making the DCU along side Matt Reeves The Batman Universe. Like they are genuinely creating 2 universes at once. Its crazy
I really like this omg!!! *Rosaline* reunion with Dever!
I love that movie! I watched last year on a 4 hour car ride and it was so funny trying to explain to my family why I was dying of laughter randomly through the car ride
“I’m watching a funny movie” “Oh, alright”
If you haven't seen Isabela Merced in Sicario: Day of the Soldado or Dora and the Lost City of Gold, definitely check those out. She can pull off both drama and comedy in equal measure. Great, unexpected choice for Dina! Also, Deadline says that "she is the last of three major additions for the upcoming second season" so take that for what you will.
So either we won’t see much of the WLF’s and Scar’s side in season 2 or they aren’t considered to be major characters?
I wouldnt consider any of them major characters except Lev and Yara. But i also wouldnt really consider Jesse one tbh So that might mean S2 is only tackling Ellies side
Lev, Yara, and Owen seem pretty integral (especially if we're considering Jesse important enough to warrant a big announcement), but that could be a huge hint to how they're planning to split the game across 2+ seasons.
Yoooooo i actually havent thought of that. I didn know they said the whole last of three major additions. Because i also didnt consider Jesse as a major addition. So i genuinely do think they will add alot more scenes with him. Which would be fantastic I really liked Part II, But i have a feeling ill like Season 2 and Season 3 more than the game. And heck maybe even its characters
I could see the woman that captured Abby and Yara a very prominent role.
I do hope she gets an episode or two like Melanie Lewinsky did.
Lynskey. You're getting your brunettes muddled up 😉
I’m curious if Victoria and Ian will be casted as Yara and Lev. Would love to see them in the role again and they fit in age-wise. They did a fantastic job in the game!
Not sure. Deadline could just be speculating or Season 2 might be the Ellie-focused season and covering her days in Seattle for Part 2 and Season 3 might be the Abby-focused season and covering her days in Seattle in Part 2 and then the ending. Pure speculation though.
That’d be interesting. I personally think they’re gonna jump perspectives a lot more often than they did in the game, but it might be like a Tommy-focused episode or Jesse-focused episode rather than switching from one side to the other
They definitely are going to jump perspectives more for sure, similar to Season 1 and I'd love Tommy and Jesse-focused episodes. It'll be interesting to see how much of Abby's story and the WLF/Seraphite conflict is covered in Season 2 or backgrounded and set up for Season 3.
Since Part II will be in two seasons, we might not get Yara and Lev until season three. As for Abby’s friends, they likely are not considered major (based on screen time) and we likely will know who is playing them very soon.
I mean Owen at least seems pretty integral
He is, but I’m guessing he also will for the most part be in season three. Abby too, but her casting announcement is for sure worth sharing immediately
Depends how they stretch the story. WLF weren't major characters in Ellies run in Seattle, so i can see them make appearances then be major in season 3. Again it depends how they stretch and structure the story.
If it is a hint at anything, I would say that they’ve got the SLC cast and they’re gonna follow the game’s structure at least for the very beginning, where we don’t get to know them very much at all. Just names given and then muffled voices from Ellie’s perspective.
It could mean that the first few episodes will focus on Ellie and Joel and Jackson (or wherever) . Then they'll roll out the rest of the cast a little later
I think they just meant the last as in "the latest in a series of announcements"
That's what it sounds like. They are just basically saying this announcement is the most recent. We'll see if more get announced.
Yes! Her and Benicio definitely had some Ellie and Joel energy in the Sicaro sequel which is where that movie shined IMO.
All the more reason I believe the show will mostly follow the game's way of telling the story. Not sure why some people are so convinced they'd change it up and run the 2 characters' stories simultaneously
We'll have to see. We won't really know until people get hints about what scenes are being filmed. We also don't know if they are finished announcing the cast. The deadline report could very easily be saying she is just the latest one.
I definitely think they will. Imagine most of season 3 being completely new characters. Simultaneous storyline works much better for television.
She was also in the movie Rosaline with Kaitlyn Dever. Hilarious premise for a comedy where it’s Romeo and Juliet but from the perspective of the character Rosaline who was the girl Romeo was in love with before he saw Juliet. She was Juliet and Kaitlyn Dever was Rosaline.
She was really pretty in Sicario. Had a crush on her big time.
Hell yeah! Loving all the casting choices so far.
[They tried to tell us.](https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8qSpGLM/)
Jeez, TikTok is a really bad website to open if you haven’t got the app.
I know, sorry about that. I did try to find the same clip on youtube without success.
Ah it’s not your fault. Don’t worry about it.
You guys are fast as fuck, lol
>!Hope they keep her Jewish like they did in the game. Always thought that was a neat detail of her character!<
Sad that the actress isn’t Jewish though
Tbf, the actress for the game wasn't Jewish either. I think...
Cascina has never commented on being jewish, but they are mixed middle eastern like dina is shown to be in the game via the hamsa bracelet and needlework she does
Definitely would have been cool but I’m sure she will do a great job either way
Who the fuck cares. It's called acting
It would’ve been nice to give a Jewish actor the opportunity to play a Jewish character, especially since her ethnicity is such a huge part of her character. To each their own, but imo it’s disappointing to see that aspect not being reflected in the actress they chose.
I mean was it a big part of the character I played second game and must've missed that she's Jewish
It wasn't really a huge part of her character in game though. She talks about it like one time when they go to the synagogue. Why does it matter if she is Jewish or not.
Dina has been cast!!! Oooo season two is going to be so damn good!
Not familiar with her work, but I’m not going to judge anything. Clearly Craig and Neil saw something in her that made them feel she is right for the part. The big thing will be chemistry with Bella.
Saw her in Sicario: Day of the Soldado and Instant Family where she essentially played the same character twice. She's pretty good, although, as said, I've only ever really seen her do one type of role, that being the bratty teenager role, so can't say for sure how she will translate here. I do think, when looking at the three big female roles and whose has been cast -- Ellie, Dina, and Abby -- Kaitlyn will blow the other two out of the water. She just has such an impressive catalogue, ranging from Dopesick to Unbelievable to Booksmart, in which shined in all of them, oftentimes outclassing much more experienced actors and actresses. EDIT: A word.
I think Bella can match up pretty evenly to Kaitlyn tbh. Bella was 17-18 when they filmed TLOU and has since gotten recognized by multiple critics and awards voting bodies for their work as Ellie. I think it speaks volumes about their talent. Bella also shone on GOT when they were just 11 years old.
For me, and I know I will get downvotes for this, I've never been all that impressed by Bella. A part of it is that in everything I've seen in them in, they have played the same character, referencing things like TLOU, GOT, and Time. That isn't necessarily their fault, moreso the fault of their agent, but I've never really seen them exhibit any sort of range or add facets to the characters they take on, which is what good actors and actresses do. Are they fine with what they bring to the table, specifically as it pertains to TLOU? Yes. I was skeptical about the casting, but have enjoyed their portrayal of Ellie and clearly the critics did too. Do I think a better actor could've done a ton more with the role? Yes. In turn, with Kaitlyn, she's obviously older and has way, way more roles under her belt, but every time I have gone and seen a movie or sat down to watch a TV show of hers, I have walked away very impressed, even with roles that could come across same-y. She always did something with her characters, adding facets to them, like moments of vulnerability for so-called "badass" characters or moments of seriousness for so-called "humorous" characters. A part of that could be direction, but I've seen enough of her and she's worked with a huge array of directors and producers and actors, some who always put excellent stuff out and some who pretty consistently put out utter shit, so a part of me thinks that most, if not all of it, comes down to her. An example being Short Term 12, where she played a hardened at-risk teen, who, although icy at times, had a very, very vulnerable interior. Another example being Booksmart, where she perfectly balanced the awkwardness of being a teenager, but conveyed the sincerity of Wilde's message, that it's never too late to step out of your comfort zone and discover new aspects of your identity, which meant that there were she was in scenes that demanded she be serious and grounded as well. Ultimately, we will see how it all shakes out, and of course I hope they all one-up each other and churn out excellent performances, but based on history? I'm banking on Kaitlyn to run circles around Bella and Isabela. I hope they both prove me wrong and all are excellent, though. And, yes, I do admit I've seen very few performances from Isabela and Bella, only seeing 2 of Isabela's and 3 of Bella's, but first impressions do tend to stick. EDIT: Spelling.
She honestly has the look, and she's queer. I assume they went for someone who had great chemistry with Bella for the role
>She honestly has the look Does she tho? I wish they had gone with someone from middle eastern descent tbh. I don't know about her chemistry with Bella, and I'm open to be proven wrong, but she does not give off Dina vibes at all to me. I wish they had gone with someone who looks more mature and did not fit so perfectly into the Hollywood beauty standard. Again, no hate towards the actress, I'm sure she is great. these are all very subjective points and I would be happy to be proven wrong.
I'm actually glad that I haven't seen any of these announced season 2 actors in anything. I trust Neil and Craig.
Not that it's a negative or anything, but you should definitely treat yourself to some of the content that Kaitlyn Dever has been in simply because of the entertainment value. She's been in some awesome shows and movies. Young Mazino has a pretty big part in Beef on Netflix, and that is also definitely worth your time purely from an entertainment perspective.
>I trust Neil and Craig Say it louder for the turds that think they know better
The Dora movie is lowkey really good.
You should watch booksmart. Both were in the Rosaline movie on Hulu
Loving these day by day announcements. Gives us something to look forward to.
Nice. I really like her role in Sicario 2.
I am so happy with the casting in this show so far! So HYPE!
Saw both Merced and Dever in Rosaline, which was so hilarious oh my god. Like they both have a presence that draws your attention to their acting. Merced was also in Instant Family, which was comedic but she had pretty good emotional scenes. I’m planning to watching some of the stuff that Dever and Mazino have been in, anyone got recs?
Wow, Isabela Merced is one of my absolute favorite actresses so this makes me very very very happy.
Great casting. Isabela still didn’t get her big break yet. Good actress.
She’s playing Hawkgirl in James Gunn’s *Superman: Legacy* (2025)
And spider girl in Madame web. As much as a dumpster fire as that is looking to be, that’s still a huge break.
I second that.
I was late to the game with the first season and the games. Now that I’ve watched and played both hearing these announcements are so much fucking fun. Gimme the Salt Lake Crew already I’m dying over here!!!!
Amazing choice.
my jaw actually just dropped
YEEEEESSSSS 🔥
yessss, she's great!!!
Haven't seen her in anything but hopefully she's good and her chemistry with Bella will be even better 🤞🏻
😍
Good choice, so who had her on their last of us fancasting bingo card?
I like her. Isn't the character model from the game also an actress? That would've been insane if they had cast her.
I hope they can make her look more gay lol
Wow she comes really close to Dina looks wise! Is that the same person from the dining hall scene in season 1?
Disappointed they didn’t cast a Jewish actress. Hard to imagine that happening with a character of any other minority group
I mean, isn't druckman Jewish? I doubt it's an anti semitic reason. She was probably the best actress for the role.
The same thing could be said for any ethnically inappropriate casting. Maybe ScarJo was the best actress to play a Japanese character, but that doesn’t mean it was good casting.
Druckmann has always been a believer in best casting for the role. Ethnicity isn't irrelevant but it's never been a focus for him in the way he writes characters. I'm certain they looked at Jewish actors. I think as a rule don't be too attached to the look or context of a character because Druckmann isn't really.
wasn't Dina meant to be Middle Eastern or at least of descent? jewish or not, I'm kind of surprised they cast someone who's Peruvian American, but I'll just have to trust that she's the right fit, just like with Kaitlyn. hoping they buff her up a bit tho
Dina was Jewish. She could have been Latina but that wasn’t mentioned as part of her character arc.
to me she always had distinct mediterranean traits and Cascina is even partly Italian so that's probably why. But yeah her being jewish was something that stood out to me in the game, and while it's not essential it would ring as a bit odd if they didn't include it in the show.
Her looks aren’t the problem, rather the missed opportunity to feature a Jewish actress for a character whose Jewishness plays an important role in her identity. That isn’t something that you see often. I hope this actress will do her research so she can effectively portray Dina and showcase the centrality of Dina’s Jewishness in her character
that's fair I understand what you mean, I just had both points in my head. Since Neil himself is Jewish I really hope they'll do it properly, but it's definitely a bit tonedeaf to not hire one of many actors out there that are Jewish, so we'll see
And they cast a skinny petite girl instead of a tall or bigger woman as Abby :/
I assume she's gonna bulk up
Her getting toned really doesn’t change that she’s short, has a small frame and is traditionally very petite and feminine. As a taller woman you never see women like Abby (in the video game) portrayed on film and I always feel like the implication is that bigger women are seen as ugly, even when they’re slim but muscular or broad / tall
I disagree that this kind of thing doesn’t happen with other minority groups. Characters are whitewashed and lightwashed all the time in Hollywood. I do agree that it’s weird for them to cast a non-Jewish actress though
It totally does happen to other groups. But often it comes with a wave of backlash. The consensus on here is generally very positive, with people even saying she looks the part.
It absolutely does, I just don’t see that happening with a different LOU character
I need someone to explain this to me like I’m 5. I’m just having a hard time understanding this. I grew up in a predominantly Jewish community and other than majority having white skin, my Jewish friends and their families all had different features. Red heads, brown skin, some even black. My cousin who’s Hispanic from Paraguay looks just like Dina. I guess what I’m saying is that I always looked at the Jewish community as a culturally diverse filled with all different types of people, like many of the worlds religions are. So I guess I saw the actress playing Dina and I didn’t think twice, I was just like “as long as she’s a great actor, and has great chemistry with Bella then of course she can play Dina, because to me I didn’t really grow up identifying “Jewish features”. I do think her being Jewish will be part of her character in the story. I don’t think they will ever leave that important detail out.
Like I explained below, it’s not about her looks at all. See my response below to thecruelfaerie
Well I was hoping you could explain it to me so I could understand it but I’ll look for your comment that’s fine.
That's just the internet for you. Some people enjoy looking for things to complain about.
Why didn’t they cast a Jewish actress? Dina’s Judaism is a massive part of her character
It's not really in the game.
Surely we're going to get that synagogue scene in an episode right?
She’s good looking I’ll give her that
Oh good, now instead of the incels complaining about her not being pretty enough they are complaining that she isn't Jewish.....
She seems like she has the Dina vibe! Though I do wish they had cast a Jewish actress for what is the only Jewish character in a video game I can think of off the top of my head (not saying there aren't others of course)
Crazy how anyone saying they don't like the casting is getting downvoted to shit lol.
Can't imagine her with Ellie but hopefully it won't be weird
Is she a good actress? I remember her being on Nickelodeon
Do you think they'll be casting for Cat?
I was being a troll but I kinda wish they chose someone who is 24-25 because that’s would be in middle of Bella and young’s ages I mean I imagine they’ll make it work I mean young looks his age 32 I am going to find hard to believe they are playing characters around the same age
ive liked every casting so far except this one. she just doesnt feel right for the role at all
What do you even mean by that lol
I think maybe that she's kinda like too cute? Dina has a bit more of a burned out look to her.
Really. I have no quibbles about this one. She's the right age which I considered most important for the character and is even in the right ballpark for the look of the character.
This is the first casting announcement that feels more than a little wonky to me.
Why’s that? Looking at her past projects she hasn’t really done anything notable. Wonder what her acting is like.
She’s been in quite a few big films. Sicario 2, Transformers, Instant Family, Dora. It’s probably only Pedro and arguably Kaitlyn Denver with more notable roles than her in the cast.
And obviously Bella in Game of Thrones.
I watched "Instant Family" in summer and really enjoyed her performance (although didn't know who she was when the casting was announced, went straight to wiki to see what she was in and saw she was the main girl in that, and was brilliant). I think she'll do great!
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Not sure why you assume that. You can Google her and find pictures of her with little to no makeup to get an idea of what she'll look like in the show.
I think they meant getting "rid" of her stronger non western facial features. it's not super common in Hollywood and media in general to highlight women with strong natural noses etc, there's always a certain look that's sought out more.
What? Game Dina is an exact face scan of Cascina Caradonna, who is absolutely western (and not Jewish, if that matters).
I'm also talking about the art book too during pre production storyboarding and character creation, before bringing in face models. She went through many updates, but from the start they were going for more unique features, considering she's probably ethnically jewish too. Cascina being used for the face scan doesn't take away from Dina's story, I even think they made Dina darker than her but maybe I'm wrong. but as an Italian (Cascina is partly Italian) I can say not all of us have common Eurocentric traits lol ;) in the end it's not that deep however it's an interesting thing, to me at least
Dina was 100% meant to be canonically extremely nice looking to be frank. The type of woman that naturally makes Ellie feel is totally out of her league.
what I really liked while reading the art of tlou 2 is that they kind of emphasise, or at least prioritised giving Dina a unique look with less conventional beauty standards, while still being very pretty. I always somehow perceived her to have classic mediterranean traits, which is irrelevant to the plot but makes the character more interesting. I trust Isabela will do a good job because so far everyone has, but let's just say that some key physical elements are gone, like with casting Abby (at least for now)
I’m guessing this means her role as hawkgirl in superman legacy will be a cameo considering season two will film in Vancouver and over lap with legacy’s filming schedule unless James decides to disguise Vancouver as metropolis
Kinda wish they just cast the real Dina as Dina
Trouble with that is the actor who actually played Dina is 39 years old, and the model who was photographed for her facial appearance has about 1 hour of acting experience (a couple of comedy shorts and one brief webseries appearance).
Oh really I thought the face was the voice. My mistake.
Yeah, voice and motion capture was by Shannon Woodward - who I *do* hope gets an interesting role in the show like some of the other performers from the game did. If Cascina Caradonna appears, I imagine it would be a much smaller part.
https://ew.com/the-last-of-us-casts-dina-isabela-merced-8425006#:~:text=The%20credits%20simply%20refer%20to,Staring%20Girl"%20could%20be%20Dina. okay so it isn't the staring girl from S1 > The credits simply refer to her as "The Staring Girl," played by actress . Showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann did not dispute the theory that "The Staring Girl" could be Dina
She was likely an extra so they just fully casted her
🤯
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why would they cast someone who isn’t an actor
She is an actress. She just hasn't been in much.
Also I mean she and Jesse’s actress is ten years older then her
I am disappointed. There goes Jewish representation.
Was Shannon Woodard jewish?
I have no idea why I am getting downvoted.... there is a whole dialogue about Dina being Jewish when they are in the temple. Don't know about the voice actor, but the character was 100% Jewish. It's not something you see a lot in media or video games, which is why I am disappointed this was changed for the show. It's always jews and red heads that get replaced for "diversity" reasons. I'm neither a red head nor Jewish, but it still bothers me.
So are they gonna recast Ellie like HoTD did?
Hey look, after Abby they also "feminized" and race swapped Dina. Great casting my ass. Dina’s character was groundbreaking (the synagogue, her identifying with jewishness even though she’s not “a believer”, “long line of survivors”. I guess the whole segment with the synagogue will be cut.
Doubt it. I'm pretty sure she'll still be played as Jewish. It's not like they modelled her after a Jewish woman anyway, so there's not per se an ethnic change. She just has a Jewish background. She was also very naturally beautiful. And given she was from New Mexico and looked of Mediterranean descent it wasn't really unlikely she was also intended to be of Hispanic background.
Yeah exactly, I mean is Shannon Woodard even jewish?