HBO’s adaptation of The Last Of Us will dial back down the violence portrayed vividly in its video game counterpart, the series creators have confirmed. Speaking with SFX Magazine, courtesy of a story from GamesRadar, the creator of The Last Of Us, Neil Druckmann said the adaptation required “a certain amount of action, or violence, that we could use for mechanics so you could connect with Joel and get into a flow state.”
In doing so, the co-president of Naughty Dog said this would allow fans to “feel like you’re connected with this on-screen avatar and you’re seeing the world through his eyes.”
“One of the things that I loved hearing from [co-creator Craig Mazin] and HBO very early on was, ‘Let’s take out all the violence except for the very essential.’” Druckmann continued. Finding the means to add violence into the series sparingly would allow “the violence to have even more impact than in the game, because when you hold on showing the threat and you’re seeing people’s reaction to a threat, that makes it scarier.”
Speaking about the infected threat that featured prominently in the recent full-length trailer, Druckmann added “when we do reveal the infected and the Clickers, you get to see what brought down humanity and why everyone is so scared.”
The Last Of Us will premiere on Jan. 15, 2022. Are you excited to watch the show? Let us know your thoughts on the new trailer in the comments below, and keep your eyes on GameLuster for more gaming news, including a modification that turns Joel bald. It has to be seen to be believed.
