The Last of Us co-creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann have revealed that the HBO show will include content that was cut from the 2013 video game of the same name.
Speaking with Hyper Omelete at the 2022 Comic Con Experience, Mazin and Druckmann explained how the upcoming drama series will reward fans of the franchise. "It's about the journey. It's entirely about the journey," Mazin said. "I have played The Last of Us about 12 times. I know how it ends. I love the journey. And we promise, there will be surprises along the way. If you've played the game, I promise you there are things that you don't know that are coming that will blow your mind." Druckmann -- who also created the video game -- added, "There's stuff that was written that we didn't get a chance to put in the game that is in the show. So, you'll get to see an enrichment of these characters...It's interesting, we've now talked to people who have watched the entire season and went back and played the game, and they said the game is now richer having watched the show."
The Last of Us is based on the eponymous video game that was released exclusively on the PlayStation 3 in 2013, earning overwhelming praise from critics and players alike for its tense gameplay, compelling performances and powerful narrative. Like the game, the HBO series will take place 20 years after modern civilization has been destroyed and overrun by fungus-infected monsters known as "Clickers." The Last of Us will follow Joel (The Mandalorian's Pedro Pascal), a hardened survivor, who is hired to smuggle Ellie (Bella Ramsey), a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone.
The Last of Us Was Almost a Movie
Fans have been patiently waiting for an adaptation of The Last of Us for almost a decade, with Sony originally announcing a film adaptation of the video game in 2014. However, those plans quickly fell apart due to creative differences between Druckmann and Sony, who wanted to make the film on a larger scale. "When I worked on the movie version, a lot of the thinking and notes were like ‘How do we make it bigger? How do we make the set pieces bigger?' I think that’s ultimately why the movie wasn’t made," Druckmann said in May 2021. With the series, Druckmann's approach was to "make it as an indie film," which allows for smaller, more intimate moments with the characters that would not have been afforded to them if they had gone with a big, action film at Sony.
In addition to Pascal and Ramsey, The Last of Us stars Gabriel Luna as Tommy, Anna Torv as Tess, Nico Parker as Sarah, Murray Bartlett as Frank, Nick Offerman as Bill, Melanie Lynskey as Kathleen, Storm Reid as Riley, Merle Dandridge as Marlene, Jeffrey Pierce as Perry, Lamar Johnson as Henry, Keivonn Woodard as Sam, Graham Greene as Marlon, and Elaine Miles as Florence. Ashley Johnson and Troy Baker, who respectively portrayed Ellie and Joel in the video games, are also slated to appear in the upcoming series in undisclosed roles.
The Last of Us premieres on HBO and HBO Max on Jan. 15, 2023.
Source: YouTube