"Westworld" actress Shannon Woodward has officially joined the voice cast of Naughty Dog's "The Last of Us Part II."
Set five years after the events of the original game, the Naughty Dog sequel continues the story of Ellie and Joel. However, players will spend a major part of the time controlling Ellie. Bruce Straley will be replaced by Neil Druckmann as the game director. The overall theme of the original game was love, and Druckmann previously said that the sequel's narrative will center on hate.
Woodward, who plays the role of Elsie Hughes in HBO's sci-fi hit, confirmed her casting on Twitter on Saturday. The actress also included a photo of her wearing a motion capture suit as she posed with Druckmann. "I am embarrassingly over-excited here because I'm peaking. @Neil_Druckmann is letting me act in The Last Of Us:Part II," Woodward wrote. Details about Woodward's character are yet to be revealed, but it is indeed exciting news for anticipating fans. More information about the game is expected to be announced at this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3).
It is worth noting that Woodward is not the only "Westworld" connection in Naughty Dog's acclaimed franchise. Halley Gross, a writer in the series, is also involved in "The Last of Us Part II." She is collaborating with the studio for the script of the upcoming PlayStation 4 title.
Since not much is known about the upcoming game, many fans come up with different theories on how the story will play out. Naughty Dog's Arne Meyer spoke with Games Radar last week and he said looking at the fan theories is "fun" for the team. He went on to explain that when crafting trailers, they make sure to leave questions and interpretations open. "To see some of that and to see where all of that goes is always a thrill for us, we get a kick out it," he added.
The sequel is indeed a ways off but Naughty Dog President Evan Wells promises fans that the wait will be worth it. Wells assured PlayStation 4 players that "it's going to be a great game," with Druckmann adding that the story will be "amazing."
"The Last of Us Part II" is expected to be released sometime in 2018 for PlayStation 4.
