‘The Last Of Us’ Producer Word Games Ups Jacqueline Lesko To President Of Production

deadline.com:

Jacqueline Lesko has been promoted to President of Production at Word Games — the production company founded by multiple Emmy-winning writer, producer and director Craig Mazin, which is best known for its work on HBO’s smash hit series Chernobyl and The Last of Us.

Lesko co-exec produced Season 1 and will exec produce the second season of the post-apocalyptic zombie show, co-created by Mazin and Neil Druckmann.

She was also a co-producer on Mazin’s 2019 limited series Chernobyl, examining the fallout of the Soviet nuclear disaster, prior to Word Games producing the award-winning short George Lucas in Love, as well as the award-winning feature doc Spinning Plates.  “Jacqueline has been an integral part of our company’s growth and success for a decade now, and the proof of her value is right there on the screen for everyone to see,” said Mazin in a statement. “I couldn’t ask for a better partner as we continue our journey with my own projects as well as shows we’re developing with other artists.” Coming in as HBO’s most-watched series in both Europe and Latin America, The Last of Us is based on the Druckmann-penned video game developed for PlayStation by Naughty Dog.

The show takes place twenty years after modern civilization has been destroyed. Joel (Pedro Pascal), a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie (Bella Ramsey), a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone.