news culture “Anyone Would Be Infected”: The co-creator of The Last of Us series announces another big difference from the original game
A few days before its release, the TV adaptation of the video game The Last of Us continues to unfold. Today, Craig Mazin, series co-creator and showrunner, shares some of the adaptation work he and his team have been doing. After the question about violence, location for the epidemic, which should deviate from the original version.
A difficult adjustment work
Adapting a work into a new format is always a difficult task, the proof of which is the video game, which among other things has never really shined in films or series. When the trend changes, as with the Netflix series Arcane and Cyberpunk Edgerunners, the adaptation process remains complex and involves many challenges.
For Craig Mazin, transcribing the essence of the original game in serial format, with multiple episodes, the characters and the various plots to bring to life on screen, poses a difficult challenge that inevitably requires some compromises in order to avoid his artistic choices to affect . One of the big problems that arises for the HBO series in particular – but also for the various video game adaptations in general – concerns the question of realism.
In video games, realism is sometimes set aside to serve gameplay. Conversely, Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann want to bring more realism into their show. Therefore, the two creators have to modify some elements, like the Cordyceps infection. The spores that infect humanity will not behave like this in the series.
In the game there are times when you have to face the spores and wear a gas mask. If we threw spores into the air in the world we are creating, they would definitely spread everywhere, everyone would have to wear a mask, and everyone would eventually become infected. – Craig Mazin for comic book
Expect many changes
This change, important as it is, is at the service of realism, always aiming to offer a televisable narrative to keep viewers’ disbelief in the limbo. The purpose is not to transcribe Ellie and Joel’s journey as it is, but rather to offer a story that is both true to the original and functional in this new format.
This isn’t the first time the showrunners have admitted changing certain elements. For example, Neil Druckmann said last month that the series would contain less violence than the two video game works in order to give it more impact. It is therefore certain that this series will offer something different from the two video game works, but could appeal to spectators-players alike. Until next January 15th for the first feedback.
