While The Last of Us is expected to be faithful to the original video game, it’s already clear that there will be some larger changes to the game’s story than originally thought. With Neil Druckmann (creator of The Last of Us, writer for the two original games, and co-president of Naughty Dog) at the helm, that faithful adaptation doesn’t seem out of reach. However, some pre-release details make it clear that there are some larger changes being made for reasons that aren’t yet clear.
The Last of Us is more about the characters themselves than anything else. While zombies and antagonist humans stand in the way, they are effectively just part of the environments that they have to pass through. As Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) make their way across the United States, the environment itself is often as much a challenge as any of the inhabitants, with them having to work their way around crumbling architecture and survive in dangerous elements.
HBO’s The Last Of Us Is Changing Joel & Ellie’s Route
While the set pieces and environment are a major part of the original story, it appears that Druckmann and HBO will be changing that environment for The Last of Us TV series. In the first video game, Joel and Ellie start in Boston’s Quarantine Zone, make their way through Pittsburgh, and then head on their way west to Wyoming. During their time in Pittsburgh, Joel and Ellie meet fellow survivors Henry and Sam and avoid the Hunters with them.
However, the official casting announcements for Henry and Sam reveal that the brothers are hiding in Kansas City, Kansas when Joel and Ellie meet them (via IGN). Similarly, Melanie Lynskey’s character Kathleen is leading a “revolutionary” movement in Kansas City, which appears to be HBO’s version of The Last of Us’ Hunters. Kansas City never appears in The Last of Us video game and is not only further south than Joel and Ellie’s route takes them, but is much further west than their stop in Pittsburg.
What The Last Of Us’ Location Change Might Mean For The Series
In The Last of Us video game, Joel and Ellie meet Henry and Sam, it is a formative moment for the pair. They’re still struggling to get along as Joel attempts to keep his distance, but Henry and Sam serve as a parallel for them, with Henry thrust into a father role over his much younger brother, just as Joel is finding himself caring for Ellie. The tragedy that befalls the group has an impact on Joel and Ellie and their relationship going forward, and it taking place early in the game seems vital.
With Joel and Ellie not meeting the brothers until Kansas in HBO’s The Last of Us, they will not only have had to go off course, but will also have been traveling together for much longer. This means that their relationship will likely be more developed already by that point, and might mean a larger change for how the story of Henry and Sam plays out. In the video game of The Last of Us, the brothers’ tragedy serves the protagonists' story first and foremost, and this change might mean that HBO’s adaptation can give the pair a happier ending.
The first episode of The Last of Us will release on HBO on January 15th.