Neil Druckmann not only wrote and co-directed the 2013 smash hit ‘The Last of Us’ but he is responsible for penning the script for a cinematic take on the property as well. You would think he would be massively excited to see the project come to life, only he isn’t. In fact, Druckmann kind of hopes that it never sees the light of day. The reasoning makes sense on one hand though not at all on another.
The news came from this year’s DICE Summit in Las Vegas where director Dan Tra chtenberg (’10 Cloverfield Lane’) interviewed Druckmann about where the adaptations of ‘Uncharted’ and ‘The Last of Us’ currently were. While ‘Uncharted‘ had a straightforward answer that it was still in the works, those who were looking forward to ‘The Last of Us’ received a shocking response!
“…And even I worked on the script for The Last of Us film, which was a direct adaptation. And now, having some separation from it, I look back and be like, ‘I don’t want that movie to be made.’ Maybe there’s something that could be done in [that] world, either focusing on other characters or other time. But, for me – and I know for Naughty Dog and for a lot of our fans – Nolan North is Nathan Drake, Ashley Johnson is Ellie, Troy Baker is Joel. And it would be very disorienting to see someone else in that role.”
There lies the kicker. The voice actors and animated takes on them were crucial to the development of the story in the game. Following Joel and Ellie was a treat and learning and exploring their world has clearly been a hit with gamers.
The flip side is for casual gamers, ex-gamers, or people who just want a solid story set in a dystopian setting might want to watch this without having to play the game itself.
I get both sides of the situation.
The problem with most video game adaptations is that they take too many liberties with the source material or aren’t true to the story. Here, we have a very cinematic experience that would be ripe for turning into a film. It could be one of the first major hits that aren’t just scoffed at for being an adaptation and yet the idea that it would follow the same story that some have seen is now the complaint.
Do you think that ‘The Last of Us’ should tell us a new story set in the same world or be a direct retelling of the game’s story? Share your thoughts below!
