The Last of Us' Series in the Works at HBO From 'Chernobyl' Creator Craig Mazin, Neil Druckmann (Exclusive)
MARCH 05, 2020 9:30AMby*Borys Kit, Patrick Shanley
Craig Mazin, the creator of the acclaimed limited series*Chernobyl,*is reteaming with HBO adapt*The Last of Us, the massive Sony PlayStation video game franchise.
In a rare development in the world of video game adaptations, the writer and creative director of the game, Neil Druckmann, is also involved, and will work with Mazin to pen and executive produce what is intended to be a series.
Carolyn Strauss will also executive produce along with Evan Wells, the president of Naughty Dog, the Santa Monica-based developer of the game. The project is a co-production with Sony Pictures Television and in association with PlayStation Productions and it will be the first television series from PlayStation Productions.
Originally launched in 2013, Sony and Naughty Dog’s*The Last of Us*garnered critical praise for its engrossing tale of the post-apocalypse centered on the relationship between Joel, a smuggler in this new world, and Ellie, a teenager who may be a key to a cure for the deadly pandemic.
Joel, a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle the14-year-old girl out of an oppressive quarantine zone. What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal, heartbreaking journey, as they both must traverse across the U.S. and depend on each other for survival. The HBO series will cover the events of the original game, which was written by Druckmann, with the possibility of additional content based on the forthcoming game sequel,*The Last of Us Part II, which will release on May 29, 2020.
Mazin, who is said to be an avid player of the game, stated, “Neil Druckmann is without question the finest storyteller working in the video game medium, and*The Last of Us*is his magnum opus. Getting a chance to adapt this breathtaking work of art has been a dream of mine for years, and I’m so honored to do it in partnership with Neil.”
“From the first time I sat down to talk with Craig I was equally blown away by his approach to narrative and his love and deep understanding of*The Last of Us,” said Druckmann in a statement. “With*Chernobyl, Craig and HBO created a tense, harrowing, emotional masterpiece. I couldn’t think of better partners to bring the story of*The Last of Us*to life as a television show.”
Last of Us*won numerous “game of the year” awards and went on to sell more than 17 million copies across both its original release on the PlayStation 3 and a remastered version on the PlayStation 4.
“This is an incredibly exciting opportunity for us to partner with Craig, Neil, Carolyn and the teams at Sony, Naughty Dog and PlayStation to bring the virtual world of this acclaimed game to life,” stated HBO programming president Casey Bloys.
“This is the first of many shows we intend to develop with our friends at PlayStation Productions,” said Chris Parnell, co-president of Sony Pictures Television Studios.*The Last of Us*is a brilliant achievement in storytelling and character development, and we are lucky to have the opportunity to work with this team to adapt it.”
Druckmann is a longtime vet of Naughty Dog, starting as a programming intern in 2004. In 2007, he was given the role of game designer on*Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, the first installment in the action adventure series. In 2013, he created*The Last of Us, based on a concept he developed as a student at Carnegie Mellon University.
Mazin’s*Chernobyl*tackled a bleak and complex true-life event and became a must-see show for HBO. The show won an Emmy for outstanding limited series and landed one for Mazin for outstanding writing. Mazin also won a PGA and a WGA Award.
1. 1-1 15 Jan 23 When You're Lost in the Darkness
2. 1-2 22 Jan 23 Infected
3. 1-3 29 Jan 23 Long, Long Time
4. 1-4 05 Feb 23 Please Hold on to My Hand
5. 1-5 12 Feb 23 Endure and Survive
6. 1-6 19 Feb 23 Kin
7. 1-7 26 Feb 23 Left Behind
8. 1-8 05 Mar 23 When We Are in Need
9. 1-9 12 Mar 23 Look for the Light
Supposed titles for the season. So next episode goes back in Bills time when he first met Frank, we never really meet Frank in the game, so I'm wondering how many episodes they're going to dedicate to that. Can they cram in Bills booby trapped town AND him and Franks backstory into one episode? I almost think they'll space it out for episodes 3 for the backstory and episode 4 for the car battery, giving Nick Offerman (Bill) more screen time which since Offerman is awesome and Bill was one of my favorite characters, really looking forward to those scenes.
Episode 5 comes across as Pittsburgh, not sure if Episode 6 for Kin is for Henry and Sam or if it's for Joel and Tommy, probably Henry and Sam. Episode 7 is likely David in Winter, not sure if they'll weave in the University from the game but I hope they do, really cements Joel and Ellie. They've already seemingly skipped the hotel part from the game after Tess, between that and the University, it shows Ellie as a capable survivor and her starting to protect Joel as a father, also from the scene where Ellie covers Joel and he trusts her with a rifle for the first time, really would like them to show that scene.
If you've played the game then you know what happens in the last episode so episode 9 is pretty self explanatory.
Originally Posted by Superturtle:
No. Fuck that game. To follow up such a masterpiece like TLOU with a generic "redacted is bad" plot was so disappointing. It's even worse that you couldn't criticize the absolutely shit narrative without it being dismissed as "you're just anti woke".
I don't understand the shit narrative. It sucks about redacted, yes, but the story told was incredible. [Reply]
Originally Posted by dmahurin:
I don't understand the shit narrative. It sucks about redacted, yes, but the story told was incredible.
What? Throwing a bunch of lifeless one dimensional characters in front of you as fodder only to try and retroactively make you feel bad for killing them sucked, especially when instead of actually taking care to flesh them out like the first game did, instead Druckmann just lazily shoved every trope possible for cheap emotional effect. Oh, you know that lady you just killed? She was pregnant. Bet you feel bad now, huh? Did that shit THREE TIMES. What always gets people emotional? DOGS!!! Let's just go back to that well too over and over and over and over and over again. It was fucking trash.
Not to mention pretending to be Tarantino in the story telling when he didn't have 1/100th of the skill required to pull it off. The game might've actually been decent if we could've gotten at least a bit attached to each character before blasting them in the face, but going back hours later and trying to retroactively do it I just don't give a shit anymore. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Superturtle:
Seriously, the first side character that these folks watching are about to meet in episode 3 is FAR more memorable than ANY from TLOU2.
I'd have to agree.
Spoiler!
Makes me hopeful for a Part III story where they can get back to basics. I don't know why their paths would cross again, but I'm hopeful they can create a reason. Druckmann better pickup the pace and get it developed not too long after season 2 or else it'll just GRRM HBO again.
Originally Posted by Superturtle:
What? Throwing a bunch of lifeless one dimensional characters in front of you as fodder only to try and retroactively make you feel bad for killing them sucked, especially when instead of actually taking care to flesh them out like the first game did, instead Druckmann just lazily shoved every trope possible for cheap emotional effect. Oh, you know that lady you just killed? She was pregnant. Bet you feel bad now, huh? Did that shit THREE TIMES. What always gets people emotional? DOGS!!! Let's just go back to that well too over and over and over and over and over again. It was fucking trash.
Not to mention pretending to be Tarantino in the story telling when he didn't have 1/100th of the skill required to pull it off. The game might've actually been decent if we could've gotten at least a bit attached to each character before blasting them in the face, but going back hours later and trying to retroactively do it I just don't give a shit anymore.
I don't see cheap emotional effects, I see a gradual increase in the depths Ellie was willing to go to to get what she viewed as revenge. Not too far off of what Abbie did. It's basically the same story being told in parallel to each other. 2 sides of the same fucked up coin of an eye for an eye. [Reply]
Originally Posted by dmahurin:
I don't see cheap emotional effects, I see a gradual increase in the depths Ellie was willing to go to to get what she viewed as revenge. Not too far off of what Abbie did. It's basically the same story being told in parallel to each other. 2 sides of the same fucked up coin of an eye for an eye.
Yes. That's the fucking problem. The story is "revenge is bad". Yeah, no fucking shit, Sherlock's. I expected much, much more from it considering the precedent the first game set.
Imagine you're watching John Wick, and he's just massacring mobsters left and right for the whole movie, but at the end decides NOT to kill the one that brained his dog for the hahas because "herpderp, revenge is bad". It fucking sucks. [Reply]
Just for the record, I actually don't really have a problem with the decision that most people despise this game for, only that it was executed about as poorly as it possibly could be. [Reply]
Hope they incorporate that generator in the basement scene elsewhere then. Most pants shittingest moment in the game
Not just this game, probably any game I’ve ever played. I can’t think of a more frustrating/ wtf is going on and wtf should I be doing. And now it’s easy once you get it. [Reply]
Originally Posted by A Salt Weapon:
Not just this game, probably any game I’ve ever played. I can’t think of a more frustrating/ wtf is going on and wtf should I be doing. And now it’s easy once you get it.
It's still tense as fuck even if you know exactly what to do. That little detour id just about perfect design for a horror game. [Reply]
Originally Posted by dlphg9:
I know we are only 2 episodes in, but so far it's only been the village idiot that spoiled anything. The fucking dude is in every media thread just to push his "everything is woke" agenda. He should be rompered.
The whole spoiler tag bs is laughable, to begin with. Why do you expect CP to shelter you from things you do not want to read or see? If you are afraid the plot will be revealed scroll on by. Nobody expects spoiler tags in the lounge GDT. If you are working and going to watch it after the fact don't open it. Do you all expect everyone in the GDT spoiler tag it? Does Facebook Reddit Youtube Twitter etc do this for you? Hell didn't even know the above show was zombies caused by a fungus it was revealed in the first 10 posts or so, big deal. Police your damn selves whiners.
Same goes for things you dont like because you disagree. So like spoiled little brats rat them out and try to get them thread banned. Fucking toddlers. [Reply]
Originally Posted by srvy:
The whole spoiler tag bs is laughable, to begin with. Why do you expect CP to shelter you from things you do not want to read or see? If you are afraid the plot will be revealed scroll on by. Nobody expects spoiler tags in the lounge GDT. If you are working and going to watch it after the fact don't open it. Do you all expect everyone in the GDT spoiler tag it? Does Facebook Reddit Youtube Twitter etc do this for you? Hell didn't even know the above show was zombies caused by a fungus it was revealed in the first 10 posts or so, big deal. Police your damn selves whiners.
Same goes for things you dont like because you disagree. So like spoiled little brats rat them out and try to get them thread banned. Fucking toddlers.
Neil Young said it best: "Old man, take a look at your life, you're a fucking moron..."
We're not talking about not watching an episode this week and watching it weeks later and the episode's being spoiled. We're talking about people giving away key plot arcs multiple episodes in the future or next season based on their knowledge of the video game. And not even in the context of a normal discussion but one based on his own political views.
Oh, ______ gets killed at the beginning of the next season? How in the world do I just scroll on by that without that impacting the experience of watching it going forward?
I love that you're such a complete moron that you compare it to learning that the zombies were caused by fungus. Most others here probably figured that out by the opening talk show segment in episode 1 but it's cool you had that "spoiled" based on this thread.
