Neil Druckmann, the creative director forThe Last Of Usparts 1 and 2, is best known for his captivating yet gutsy stories. While the original title maintains a heartwarming and gritty description of a post-apocalyptic America, the sequel raised the stakes even higher, proving to be one of gaming’s mostpolarizing narratives.
When adapting the original game into a nine-episodeHBO TV series,some apparent concessions had to be made to fit the story into a TV series format.While not the most faithful game adaptation, the season quickly became one of the most successfulgaming-to-screen adaptationsof all time.
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However, with how much more complex and divisiveThe Last Of Us Part 2was compared to its predecessor, the upcoming second HBO season had to be shifted even further. According to arecent interviewwith Entertainment Weekly,Neil Druckmann hints that fans can expect even more surprises in the upcoming season.
Being a storyteller, it’s clear that Druckmann doesn’t simply want to convert the game to be completely faithful, but to turn it into a show that stands on its own. While sticking close to the source material, it appearsThe Last Of Us season 2will provide many more changes for fans of the series.
It was previously disclosed that the second season ofThe Last Of Uswon’t tell the entiretyof Part 2’s story. In fact, the events of Part 2 are planned to take multiple seasons to accomplish. While not yet approved for further seasons, based on accolades andaccomplishments from the first, we should expect more on the way.
But withThe Last Of Us Part 2being such a divisive game,many fans are curious if the TV series will shift or retcon any controversial moments.To this, Druckmann states, “We don’t react to the fear of the audience, meaning our own fear of how they might react to it.”
Instead,Druckmann maintains that the story is simply created within the parameters of “What’s the best choice for this story, for these characters?”While a pretty bold claim, it’s unsurprising when recalling how bothLast Of Usgames present themselves asgritty, uncompromised talesshowing parts of humanity we may not be keen to look in the mirror.
With controversial moments sure to occur throughout the show’s future seasons, Druckman maintains confidence in their decision, saying, “we stuck to our guns.” So, while changes definitely will be made from the source material, don’t expect it to lighten the mood.
Narrative Changes In The Last Of Us Season 2
Some of the biggest questions concerning the latest season involve the plotlines and characters added to the game. Abby, for instance, was presented as a buff andstrong female soldierin Part 2 but is being played by the noticeably less muscular Kaitlyn Dever in the TV show.
Luckily, both fans and Druckmann seem to agree on this topic, as Druckmann states,“It’s more about the drama. I’m not saying there’s no action here. It’s just, again, different priorities and how you approach it.“While Abby may look different, and the action won’t be as pronounced, that never was the point of the storyThe Last Of Us.
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The Last Of Us has always focused on these characters, their drama and emotions, meaning the show’s only priority is to do the same. The differences between the show and its source material are later explained by the series co-creator, Craig Mazin:
We certainly are going to mess around with time the way it was in the source material, but as Neil said, we messed around in ways that we felt were appropriate for the show.
Looking at the first season for reference, it’s clear that, by shifting the story for television, they could promptly tell the divisive and harrowing tale ofThe Last Of Usin a much smoother way. Episodes can take you out of the action, and not everything needs to be told from the perspective of a few set playable characters,unlike the games.
But Druckmann definitely won’t spoil how the story will be told, as he explains, “It’s weird to talk about a story where its structure could be a spoiler.”That said, we can assume that the structure won’t be as concretely segmented as in the games.
It’s never been more apparent that the HBO series based onThe Last Of Usvideo games set out to become something more than just anothergame adaptation. While fans of the games may be surprised by the future events of the show, it’s sure to be an exciting few seasons to come.
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