‘The Last of Us’ Gets ASL Edition on Max from ‘CODA’ Star Daniel Durant Ahead of Season 2 | IndieWire

The “clickers” in the “The Last of Us” are zombies whose fungus has grown so infected, it has both blinded them and made their hearing hyper-sensitive. In the video game on which the hit HBO television series is based, players use stealth to evade them and respond to the sound of the monsters’ clicks in order to survive.

For Deaf players, developer Naughty Dog’s game is top of the line in terms of accessibility, implementing subtle visual cues to make players aware of looming danger, putting those players on equal footing with hearing players. It’s only fitting then that the series adaptation of “The Last of Us” be as inclusive for Deaf viewers as the game is.

HBO is set to launch an ASL version of both the first season of its hit series “The Last of Us” and the upcoming second season, IndieWire can reveal exclusively. Daniel Durant, one of the stars of the Oscar-winning “CODA,” is the ASL performer for the first season of the show, acting through the entire season in American Sign Language to open up a new level of appreciation and comprehension of the series for the Deaf audience.

The series will be available as a standalone title on Max, and it drops on March 31 ahead of the premiere of Season 2 on April 13. The ASL version of Season 2 will air day-and-date when it becomes available for everyone else, and Durant and director Leila Hanaumi will be the performers for Season 2.

“We always rely on captions, but they’re always in English grammar structure, and having the concept of adding a Deaf interpreter there just makes it a clearer message,” Durant told IndieWire via an interpreter. “It gives us expanded ideas and meanings, and then we as Deaf people get to understand the meanings behind it, using our own language and seeing it on the screen. It makes it even more accessible to us and so much more special.”

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Oscars to Recognize And Honor Captioning Technology | The Daily Moth – YouTube

Marlee Matlin, during an interview with ABC on the red carpet of the Academy Awards (Oscars) on Sunday night, announced that the Academy would award an Oscar for all closed captioning technology in an “Academy Award of Merit.”

The Inclusivity Conversation Needs To Include The Deaf Community, Especially In Hollywood | Forbes

Despite recent strides toward gender parity in leading roles, where women matched men for the first time by representing 42% of protagonists in top-grossing films in 2024, significant disparities persist in the Hollywood. Representation of people of color in lead roles dropped from 37% in 2023 to 25% in 2024, falling short of reflecting the U.S. population’s diversity. Behind the scenes, women held only 15% of directorial positions in theatrical movies, highlighting the ongoing challenges in achieving true inclusivity.

But beyond gender and racial disparities, another group remains critically underrepresented: the Deaf community. Despite the talent within the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing population, opportunities in Hollywood are scarce, with Deaf actors, writers and directors frequently overlooked in favor of hearing professionals. Authentic representation and inclusive hiring practices remain major industry gaps, limiting employment opportunities and the depth of storytelling available to audiences. As calls for inclusivity grow louder, it is crucial to recognize that true diversity must extend beyond race and gender to include individuals with disabilities—especially in an industry built on the power of storytelling.

Michelle Mary Schaefer, a Deaf actor, writer and filmmaker, is working to change that. As the founder of Annabelle Louise Productions, Schaefer has dedicated her career to telling authentic stories and providing opportunities for underrepresented talent in front of and behind the camera.

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Berlin: ‘Deaf’ Tells the Story of a Woman, Her Hearing Partner, and Their Baby (Exclusive Clips) | The Hollywood Reporter

Deaf (Sorda) is the title of Spanish filmmaker Eva Libertad’s new feature, adapted from her 2023 Goya Award-nominated short of the same name, that will be world premiering in the Panorama section of the 75th edition of the Berlin Film Festival.

The movie, written and directed by Libertad, stars Miriam Garlo, who also featured in the short, Álvaro Cervantes, Elena Irureta, and Joaquín Notario.

“Ángela, a deaf woman, is expecting a child with her hearing partner, Héctor,” reads the synopsis. “The baby’s arrival causes a crisis in their relationship, forcing Ángela to face the challenges of raising her daughter in a world which is not made for her.”

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‘Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore’ Review | Variety

‘Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore’ Review: The Trailblazing Deaf Oscar Winner Opens Up in a Winning Documentary | Variety

In her documentary “Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore,” the star continues to explore the at times lonesome space she has occupied since bursting on the scene in 1986: that of being a representative for deaf people, and being herself. For more than three decades, Matlin was the only deaf performer to have won an Oscar, and among the few to have what could be considered a mainstream acting career. That changed when Troy Kotsur, her co-star in the 2021 Oscar-winning drama “CODA,” took home the prize for best supporting actor.

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Paramount Gives Deaf Audiences VIP Cinema Access with Special Previews | IMDb

In a landmark move aimed at improving inclusivity in the film industry, Paramount Pictures UK has partnered with the British Deaf Association (BDA) and cinemas nationwide to offer special priority screenings for the deaf, deafened, and hard-of-hearing communities. Beginning with the animated blockbuster Transformers One, these screenings will ensure that this often-overlooked audience can experience the thrill of a new release before anyone else. The initiative, developed in collaboration with the Film Distributors’ Association (Fda) and UK Cinema Association (Ukca), aims to enhance the movie-going experience for the 18 million people in the UK registered as deaf, deafened, or hard-of-hearing.

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Saffron Walden cinema hopes to offer subtitle ‘smart glasses’ | BBC

A cinema is hoping to become one of the first in the country to offer “smart glasses” to filmgoers with impaired hearing.

Saffron Screen in Saffron Walden, Essex, is an independent not-for-profit cinema based within the grounds of the town’s secondary school.

It has launched a “sponsor a seat” fundraiser to raise £5,000 to buy the technology and glasses.

Paul Willmott, the chair of Saffron Screen, said: “It’s a brand new system and we’ll be one of the first in the country to use it.”

“It will enable people who are hard of hearing to see subtitles on a pair of glasses that they wear and means they’ll be able to come and watch almost any film and get subtitles,” he said.

The glasses are designed to be worn over normal spectacles, and alongside hearing aids and cochlear implant processors.

The captions appear on the lens of the glasses, making it possible to watch films and read captions without having to look away from the screen and miss out on any of the action.

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PBS’ ‘American Masters’ Sets Documentary on Marlee Matlin’s Life With ASL as Primary Language (EXCLUSIVE) | Variety

PBS’ “American Masters” documentary series will tackle the life of actor, activist and author Marlee Matlin with the feature documentary “Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore.”

The film will use ASL as its primary language. Along with stylized captioning and dynamic editing, it aims to push the boundaries of conventional documentaries and will bring together Deaf and hearing team members across production and post-production roles.

“The film will explore Matlin’s life as a groundbreaking performer, whose meteoric and tumultuous rise to fame started in 1987 when she became the first Deaf actor to win an Academy Award for her role in ‘Children of a Lesser God.’ At the age of 21, Matlin was thrust into the national spotlight, becoming for many Americans the first Deaf person they saw on TV and overnight becoming the de-facto representative of the Deaf community,” reads its log line.

It continues: “The film boasts never-before-seen home video filmed over the course of Matlin’s 37-year career by her longtime interpreter and producing partner Jack Jason – including footage of Matlin behind the scenes on the sets of some of her most iconic roles, including ‘Children of a Lesser God,’ ‘The West Wing’ and ‘Seinfeld.’ For the first time in her own language, Matlin will reflect on her relationship with actor William Hurt, her place in the Deaf community, her fight for roles and accessibility in Hollywood and what it means to be ‘”the first.’”

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List of Academy Award Films With Sign Language In History of Oscars | DeafNiche

At this year’s Academy Awards, the dreamy film The Shape of Water with its 13 nominations has the highest number of nominations that any film with sign language has had in the history of the Academy! There have been winners and nominations with deaf characters and sign language since the Academy was established in 1928, only two films came close to thirteen nominations like The Shape of Water. Let’s take a look back at the Academy’s history with sign language, beginning with the 1948 blockbuster Johnny Belinda.

1948- Johnny Belinda
A story about a deaf woman who lives in a small town and is pulled unwillingly into a scandal, Johnny Belinda was a strong contender at the Oscars in 1948 with six nominations: Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Adaptation, and Best Director.

WON: Best Actress, Jane Wyman

1955- Helen Keller In Her Story (also known as The Unconquered)

In this documentary that Helen Keller herself was involved in the making of about her life and education, Helen Keller In Her Story took the win for Best Feature Documentary.

WON: Best Documentary Feature Film

1960- Beyond Silence

Nominated for Best Documentary Short Subject, Beyond Silence celebrates Gallaudet University’s 100th year and explores the school environment and education setting.

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