While much of The Last of UsA Lasting Impact on Gamers and Non-Gamers Tied to the emotional evolution of Joel and Ellie’s relationship, an undeniable fascination for gamers also comes from throwing blades and projectiles at monstrous enemies and humans. As such, there’s a lot of blood and other gooey fluid spilled over the course of the first game (not to mention the DLC and sequel), which is definitely part of what fans are hoping to see from HBO live action The Last of Us adaptation with Pablo Pascal, Bella Ramsey and others . And while there are plenty of gruesome delights in store for audiences, co-developer Neil Druckmann has revealed that the TV experience won’t be as reliant on violent encounters.
Neil Druckmann wrote and co-directed the two award-winning films The Last of Us games and co-created the episodic adaptation with Chernobyl maestro Craig Mazin, so he’s by far the best person to talk about how and why changes were made in bringing the harrowing history of the Playstation console into an HBO production. Talk with special effects Revision Ahead of the HBO horror drama’s Jan. 15 premiere, Druckmann explained why the creative team chose to avoid the ongoing and constant violence Joel faces in the source material, saying:
We need a certain amount of action, or violence, that we can use as a mechanism to connect you with Joel and go into a state of flow. So, you would really feel like you are connected to this on-screen avatar and see the world through his eyes. But that doesn’t exist in a passive environment. One of the things I liked to hear [co-creator Craig Mazin] and HBO has said from the start, “Let’s eliminate all but the most essential violence.” This allowed the violence to be even more impactful than the game, because when you keep showing the threat and seeing people’s reaction to a threat, it makes it scarier. And when we reveal the infected and the clickers, you can see what has taken mankind down and why everyone is so scared.
As someone who adores both TLoU games with all my blackened heart, I can certainly speak to the idea that while the level of physical violence becomes shocking at times, usually through cut scenes, it doesn’t take long for the desensitization to kick in. For Druckmann, trying to survive a continuous series of shootouts and Clicker attacks keeps stressed players in Joel’s headspace as part of the overall gameplay experience, but that’s a completely different thought process than the one TV writers used to their most passive audience. Watching Joel fight for his survival in live action doesn’t require all the steps to ensure players are enthralled, and therefore doesn’t require as many violent threats.
That said, there’s no doubt some fans will read “less violent” as “less kind” or “less genuine,” but let’s attach a nail bomb to those kinds of thoughts. “Less is more” is almost always the best way to go about things, and it’s easy to see why spreading the more hyperviolent sequences will make them that much more effective while being watched. The Last of Uswho finished production in November 2021 , would probably be criticized by everyone if it was just an endless series of shootouts with desperate latecomers and former fireflies. Druckmann and Mazin appear to be adhering to old horror principles, which they hope will help make the standout scenes even more impactful.
And viewers can safely bet that Live Clickers will bring the same heart-pounding tension that Blind Mutations brings to the game series. Druckmann & Co. brought the horrific monsters to life almost entirely through practical effects, costumes and makeup, making them as impressive to the cast as they were to the characters.
With or without violent content in the mix, The Last of Us will offer an assortment of great video game moments, with plenty of details and easter eggs for players to keep an eye out for. It’s safe to say that the two highlights have already been revealed, with the voice actors of Ellie and Joel. Ashley Johnson and Troy Baker join the cast as “Anna Williams” and “James”, respectively. But with Druckmann partially driving, you know much more will be revealed over the weeks.
Check out the first full trailer for the show below.
The Last of Us airs on HBO Sunday, January 15 at 9:00 p.m. HBO maximum subscriptions . go to our 2023 TV premiere schedule to see what’s coming to the small screen soon.
Source: Cinemablend
