Fans Get Honest About Their Biggest Worries Regarding HBO's The Last Of Us
Naughty Dog is a game developer for Sony responsible for hits like "Crash Bandicoot," "Jak and Dexter," and "Uncharted." In 2013, they gave us one of the most influential games of the last decade with the release of "The Last of Us." Taking place 20 years after a pandemic altered the course of humanity, a rugged loner named Joel is tasked with taking a 14-year-old girl, Ellie, to meet with a group known as the Fireflies. While he is hesitant in the beginning, along the way, a paternal bond forms as he protects her from zombies and humans alike.
The game was released to critical acclaim, scoring a 95/100 on Metacritic. It took the often-tired and overused zombie apocalypse and added a more profound, character-driven narrative that stuck with fans of the game and sparked the desire for a sequel. With that kind of success and love, it was only a matter of time before a studio bought the rights for the game to create a series or a movie franchise.
Developing an on-screen adaptation of a video game is a tricky business. Even the best and most well-known studios can fall on either side of the aisle. Netflix discovered this with the success of "The Witcher" and the failure of "Resident Evil." Fans typically have a list of things they want to see, or don't want to see, when their favorite games are adapted. u/iiEco-Ryan3166 posted the question on Reddit, asking for eager fans' hopes and fears, and this is what they said.
The casting keeps the same dynamic as the game
Many of the comments seemed to be aimed at the casting. When The Hollywood Reporter tweeted out last year that Bella Ramsey would be taking on the role of Ellie, the comments were split between excitement for the Lady Mormont from "Game of Thrones" and disappointment that the part didn't go to fan favorite Kaitlyn Dever. Now that the cast has rounded out with Pedro Pascal as Joel, Gabriel Luna as his brother Tommy, Anna Torv as Tess, and Nick Offerman as Bill, we're getting a better idea of what to expect.
u/sup3rn1k said simply, "Fear: the actors cant properly portray the character's personalities and quirks." It is a common fear that a beloved character in the game won't translate well to the screen. While Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey are phenomenal actors who can no doubt bring the characters to life, others believe they won't be the problem, but the fans will be. u/audiotech14 expresses this fear, "My fear is that the show is awesome, and the actors are awesome and fully embody their characters, but fans still whine about them not looking like or sounding like the characters."
In an interview with GQ, Pascal spoke about the role and the delicate balance he was taking with Joel. While he didn't possess the talent to play the game, he watched his nephew play and learned about the character. The actor said that while he found Joel impressive, he feared getting too attached to the character and imitating him instead of bringing his own version to the screen. We'll have to wait and see if his approach is effective.
The infected retain their impact on the viewer
While the characters are an integral part of the story of "The Last of Us," the game and the series are zombie-centered at their core. The infected bring a higher level of danger and peril to the protagonists at every turn. While the humans they face are formidable, the zombies are what everyone fears. Some people in the comment section fear they won't hold up to the game version.
u/caught-red-headed shared his fears about that by pointing out they have been kept under wraps. "Fears: the infected looking bad. We haven't seen any behind-the-scenes photos of them yet, so I'm a little worried the effects are going to suck." The original poster, u/iiEco-Ryan3166, also expressed the same idea, but with a little more excitement and optimism: "I can't wait to see how the infected look and when they'll turn up."
While we haven't gotten any sneak peeks at the infected from the set, we have gotten some images of the infection in other ways. Anyone who played the games will notice something very telling in the background of these set photos. The infection didn't stop with growing on the people it infected. It spread to the walls and became spores in the air. It was everywhere. It felt like a constant threat even if there were no infected around. Seeing it grow on the walls in the background gives us a little hope that the crew is staying faithful to the virus, and the infected will be just as terrifying on screen as they were in the game.
The storyline sticks with you the way the game did
Something that set "The Last of Us" apart from "Resident Evil" and other zombie games was the deeper storyline. While others are more focused on being a survival game, "TLOU" saw players traverse a country ravaged by disease, panic, and desperation. The background of what occurred during the twenty years since the outbreak is told largely through notes found in the game. Survivors were talking to other members of their parties, soldiers recounting what happened, and family members searching for loved ones; each letter gave you a more grave look at the world. Some commenters are worried about losing that depth in the HBO series.
u/KS_BaZINGa expressed their hope that if they make small changes to the storyline, the main points will stay faithful to the game. "I really don't want big moments to go unchanged." After listing some of their favorite, pivotal scenes in the game, they continue. "Moments like these are incredibly important to the overall narrative. My fear is these moments get tuned down or changed."
In the GQ interview, Pedro Pascal addressed the possibility of some changes but assured fans the series was in good hands. "There's a very, very creative way of honoring what's important and also preserving what is iconic to the experience of the video game, and also things that you wouldn't necessarily expect." He went on to talk about the love the creators have for the game and how this series is genuinely made for the people that love the franchise. If you are a fan of the game series, Pascal believes this series will only deepen your love for them, not take anything away.