Neil Druckmann, writer of the beloved video games, reveals why the film adaptation of The Last of Us didn't work out. HBO is now adapting the games for the small screen and they've already begun fleshing out The Last of Us' cast in anticipation of production starting this summer. Pedro Pascal will play Joel, with Game of Thrones breakout Bella Ramsey taking on the role of Ellie. Gabriel Luna has been cast as Joel's brother, Tommy. The Last of Us show will deviate from the games in some ways, but it sounds like the core of what makes the game so special will remain.
With a highly anticipated television adaptation on the way, many may have forgotten that a film version of The Last of Us was in the works all the way back in 2014. Sam Raimi was meant to produce the film for Sony, but it just didn't pan out. Why that was has remained under wraps in the years since it was initially announced, but with the HBO adaptation on the way, Druckmann has revealed why he thinks the film adaptation didn't work out.
Opening up to the Script Apart podcast, Druckmann revealed that his vision for the film just didn't align with the studio's. While Druckmann wanted the adaptation to feel like an indie film, focusing on the small character moments that gave the film depth, the studio wanted to make The Last of Us bigger and better for the big screen. Druckmann says that he thinks this is why the movie didn't work out, but he's ultimately grateful since the HBO series will allow for the small, indie-like feel Druckmann has been going for from the start.
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. Our approach for The Last of Us was ‘Let’s make it as an indie film. Let’s approach it as an indie film team, the way it’s shot, the way how small and intimate it feels. And with the show we get to lean into that even more because we don’t have to have as many action sequences as we do in the game.
While The Last of Us is known for its gritty survival centered gameplay, what makes the game so special is the heart-wrenching story at its center about family, love, and trust. Ellie and Joel's story comes to a brutal conclusion in The Last of Us Part II, but the HBO series will spend plenty of time building up their relationship and, at the end of the day, that's exactly what the series needs. The emotional moments are just as important as the thrilling action set-pieces and finding the balance between the two will be integral to the show's success.
Making a blockbuster The Last of Us film seems to miss the point of the game entirely. The decision to turn the game into a television show makes sense both from a story standpoint and from a technical stand point. The Last of Us' story is a layered and complex tale that only gets more complicated and expansive in its sequel. Taking the time to tell the story right over the course of several hours will hopefully lead to a better video game adaptation than most.
Source: Script Apart