Craig Mazin, known for his work writing and producing the HBO limited series Chernobyl, has extended his overall deal with HBO and it’s streaming platform, HBO Max, for three years, via Deadline. The news comes as Mazin is currently working on adapting The Last of Us game as an HBO series.
It’s no surprise the WarnerMedia company wants to continue its relationship with Mazin, as his work on Chernobyl has brought hordes of positive critical attention to the cable giant. HBO’s Chernobyl, a five-part 2019 limited series following the aftermath of a deadly explosion at the Chernobyl power plant in 1986, earned 19 Emmy nominations. The series won Outstanding Limited Series, Outstanding Writing and Outstanding Director.
In addition to Mazin’s work on Chernobyl, many are awaiting HBO’s The Last of Us series he is writing along with the game’s creator, Neil Druckmann. The game follows Joel, a hardened survivor, and Ellie, a 14-year-old girl, as they navigate a post apocalyptic world two decades after the fall of modern civilization. The project, which is also with HBO, recently announced Kantemir Balagov (director, Beanpole) will direct the pilot episode.
On January 24, Mazin announced via his Twitter account that he would be leaving the social media platform in order to work on upcoming projects in solitude. For Mazin’s complete farewell thread, click here.
Second, I loved working on Chernobyl in relative isolation from premature feedback. The audience is everything to me, and I think about them all the time… but Twitter attention– especially to stuff I’m actively working on in the moment– can be stifling at times.
— Craig Mazin (@clmazin) January 24, 2021
Beyond his HBO related projects, Mazin has written the latest draft for the Lionsgate Borderlands film adaptation, according to Deadline. Mazin’s IMDb profile notes his role as a writer on the announced film, Cowboy Ninja Viking, and as a story contributor for an upcoming but untitled Pirates of the Caribbean project.
Outside of work on Chernobyl, Mazin is known for writing The Hangover Part II (2011) and The Hangover Part III (2013), as well as Identity Thief (2013). He additionally co-hosts the screenwriting podcast ScriptNotes with John August (writer, Big Fish).