The Last of Us HBO Series Producer Promises It Will “Enhance” the Game’s Experience

The Last of US HBO series producer is aiming to waylay any concerns may have about the upcoming adaptation. Previous reports stated that the series won’t be a copy and paste formula of the game itself, the first of two, but he did promise that it will offer a way to increase the enjoyment of the iconic PlayStation franchise exponentially. 

Speaking recently with BBC Radio 5 for their Chernobyl special, the series producer, Craig Mazin, opened up a little more about his new project alongside Naughty Dog’s Neil Druckmann. Any creative lead on a video game adaptation can tell readers how difficult it can be to balance vision with canon, something we spoke about extensively with HBO at an earlier time. Mazin talked a little more about this point as he promises that this series won’t replace or ret-con the original game, instead it aims to “expand” upon its potential. 

“I think fans of something worry that, when the property gets licensed to someone else, those people don’t really understand it, or are going to change it,” Mazin told BBC. “In this case, I’m doing it with the guy who did it, and so the changes that we’re making are designed to fill things out and expand, not to undo, but rather to enhance.”

He added, “We’re creating anew and we’re also reimagining what is already there to present a different format. It’s kind of a dream come true for me. I’m a little bit scared because a lot of emotions connected to this game are rather intense. I think I’m probably going to go hide in a bunker for a while because you can’t make everyone happy!”

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As for the The Last of US HBO series itself, it is set to follow the events of the first game, centering around Joel and Ellie’s beginning journey. “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 Neil Druckmann in an earlier interview. “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.”

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It will be interesting to see how the vision holds up and if it can stand the test of a community that has proven it can be quite unforgiving. How excited are you to see that a television series based on The Last of Us is coming to HBO? Let us know over on Facebook and Twitter!