Was The Last Of Us originally supposed to be a film? Details explored 

Do you think The Last Of Us was originally supposed to be a film? Why did the makers choose to make a TV series out of it suddenly? With the premiere of its Season 2 set for April 13, 2025, the discourse regarding it being adapted to a film or a series has gained momentum.

The game had cinematic potential, a layered story, and a scope to explore characters and emotions in depth. It has perfect cues for action sequences, making it perfect for adapting to a film. However, the real breakthrough came in 2020 when HBO announced the release of The Last Of Us series, leaving fans spiraling about the possibilities behind it. Let's dive in for more details.

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Was The Last Of Us originally supposed to be a film?

In 2014, The Last Of Us game was witnessing peak success after its release in 2013. This was the point when the film adapting the popular game was announced. However, co-creator Neil Druckmann said that they are still not sure how to approach the same.

"It’s an adaptation of the story of The Last of Us...As far as where we go and how we make it fit into a film, how it takes into account the unique properties of film... We’re not sure yet. We’re only just scratching the surface." said Druckmann speaking with IGN.

The film went through a development process, and renowned actors were rumored to be a part of it. One significant challenge was to bring the emotional depth and unique storytelling of the game to the screen. While the game was incredibly cinematic, the translation to film required reimagining certain aspects of the world. As time went on, there seemed to be a lack of clarity on the direction of the adaptation.

While the game was very successful, adapting it into a feature film seemed complicated. Druckmann then put forth the idea of adapting it to a series rather than a film. This would give them immense freedom and time to carve out each character, build on the emotional beats, and expand character journeys. Therefore, it gives a more faithful adaptation to the game. The makers decide to delve deeper into layered stories within the same game world.

According to a report by Collider, Jeffrey Pierce, who provides the voice for the video game's character Tommy, mentioned an incident when he felt like Drickmann didn't see it coming in a film format earlier.

"As good as it was, it was never gonna be a great movie. In a two-hour runtime, how are you gonna tell 14, 17 hours of story? Then I think that there was some conversation about it maybe being an animation motion-capture movie series at some point, and that seemed like a good idea, but we've been down that road."

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Finally, the adaptation of The Last Of Us made it to the screen in 2023 with the release of its Season 1, while its Season 2 is ready to drop on 13 April only on Max.