Max has announced that season two of its Emmy-winning original series “The Last Of Us” will be available to stream in American Sign Language (ASL) alongside the show’s episodes each week, beginning with the season premiere on Sunday, April 13 at 9 PM ET. This marks the first time a streaming platform has offered an ASL version alongside premiere episodes of a major series.
This also marks the first time HBO’s original programming is being made available in ASL on Max. Previously, the streaming platform offered ASL versions of Warner Bros. films such as “Barbie,” “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” and “Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice.” This expansion in the availability of ASL programming builds on Max’s commitment to creating a premium and accessible streaming experience for all subscribers.
“The Last Of Us” with ASL is performed by Daniel Durant (“Coda”) and Leila Hanaumi (Deaf Austin Theater (DAT) and ZACH’s “Cinderella”). Hanaumi also directed the first season of “The Last Of Us” with ASL, which will be available to stream starting Friday, March 31.
“With ASL” titles, including “The Last Of US,” will be displayed on the Max app along with key art featuring the sign language symbol.
“We are thrilled to expand our ASL program and debut our first HBO Original series in ASL with ‘The Last of Us,'” said Naomi Waibel, SVP of Global Product Management at WBD. “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.”
“The Last Of Us,” based on the acclaimed video game franchise developed by Naughty Dog for the PlayStation consoles, is written and executive produced by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann. The series is a co-production with Sony Pictures Television and is also executive produced by Carolyn Strauss, Jacqueline Lesko, Cecil O’Connor, Asad Qizilbash, Carter Swan, and Evan Wells, with writer/co-executive producer Halley Gross. Production companies are PlayStation Productions, Word Games, Mighty Mint, and Naughty Dog.
