The Last of Us creator Neil Druckmann has opened up on the difference between directing HBO's TV series and Naughty Dog's games that the hit show is based on. After co-writing the series' premiere with Hollywood veteran Craig Mazin, Druckmann got the opportunity to direct The Last of Us Episode 2. He's also given the sole writing credit for the show's still-untitled episode 7.
HBO debuted its much-anticipated live-action adaptation of the critically acclaimed post-apocalyptic games on January 15. The first episode had drawn in millions of viewers in the United States alone, with The Last of Us becoming HBO's second-best premiere in years, surpassed only by House of the Dragon.
Speaking on the latest episode of HBO's The Last of Us Podcast, Druckmann said he's overjoyed he got the opportunity to be so closely involved in the production of the recently debuted TV series. When host Troy Baker—who played Joel in The Last of Us games—asked him to compare his experiences directing Naughty Dog's games and their HBO adaptation, Druckmann posited that the biggest difference comes down to preparation. The nature of a live-action series meant the TV production left nothing to chance, requiring elaborate prep work and countless meetings with department heads, their teams, and actors.
In contrast, a lot of the direction work that went into The Last of Us games happened only after the actors finished filming their scenes in "funny suits," Druckmann said. The industry veteran explained that having actor performances mapped out in three dimensions meant the development team could have changed everything from camera placement and costumes to set design and even characters themselves until the very last minute.
Though modern visual effects do allow some flexibility in that regard even while filming live-action scenes, a serious TV production cannot depend on the VFX department fixing things in post-production. Everything hence needs to be planned out long before the director says "action," the 44-year-old concluded. Druckmann finished his work on The Last of Us TV series in late 2021.
HBO has yet to reveal the full directing credits for the first season of The Last of Us. The network confirmed that BAFTA Award-winning British filmmaker Peter Hoar was in the director's chair for the show's upcoming third episode, titled "Long Long Time," but the following four episodes remain uncredited. Meanwhile, the final two episodes of season one were directed by European film industry veteran Ali Abbasi, as recently revealed by his long-time collaborator Nadim Carlsen.
The Last of Us airs Sunday nights on HBO.
