credit: The Last of Us
All of you Playstation owners out there most likely played 2013’s The Last of Us. And if you did, then you probably played the sequel that came out back in 2020. While Part 2 was met with some very divisive reactions from the fanbase, it told the story it wanted to. It was an emotional gut-punch story of revenge and loss, but fans were heated by how the original main protagonist Joel met his end. Of course, playing as Ellie was a good change of pace, but being able to play as antagonist Abby, especially playing her to fight against Ellie, was a controversial decision on Naughty Dog’s end. Everyone who played remembers how it all ended, but The Last of Us fanbase remains divided on that polarizing ending for Part 2.
What’s next for Ellie and the future of the franchise? All of us fans are anxious to find out, but before we play Part 3, we’ll get a live-action television series released on HBO Max in January. Any big video game fan knows live-action adaptations of our favorite games don’t usually turn out well. The Last of Us series began with getting the first ingredients of the recipe right by casting Pedro Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsey as Ellie. For those unaware, both actors appeared in Game of Thrones, with Pascal playing the short-lived Oberyn Martell and Ramsey as Lyanna Mormont.
This is just a little reminder that the same character died killing an undead giant. If Ramsey can make Lyanna Mormont a true warrior, imagine how she’ll play Ellie. I guess that she’ll play her exactly how she is supposed to. And if The Last of Us fans have doubts, they should check out the trailers. Now again, we should always tread lightly when getting our hopes up for a video game adaptation in a movie or show. But if you want to look for any silver lining, just pay attention to what the characters say. From the dialogue we hear from Joel Ellie, Tess, and even Tommy, it’s all too familiar for fans of the game.
credit: The Last of Us
Past video game adaptations for movies and shows typically failed in the past because they tended to deviate from the source material. So, just because The Last of Us shows uses the same dialogue from the first game is a reassuring sign for our fans. But just like with every other adaptation, there have to be some changes made to surprise us. So far, the trailers have shown us some original characters made just for the show, and it’s hard to tell if they’ll be friendly or hostile toward Joel and Ellie. Another exciting change the show is making to the overall story is adding a character we saw dead when we were introduced to him in the game.
Every fan remembers the hardened lone survivalist Bill from the beginning of the first game. However, they should also remember that Bill wasn’t always alone. Before we ended our time with Bill, we saw a deceased body hanging in an abandoned garage. This was Bill’s former companion, known as Frank. Based on how Bill talked about him and the suicide letter Frank left for Bill, it’s obvious they had a somewhat contentious relationship. We never got to see that develop in the game, but the show will allow us to see it.
Oh, but it doesn’t stop there. In a couple of blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moments, Joel and Ellie voice actors Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson appear. Johnson’s character is giving birth in what appears to be some hazardous circumstances, but Baker’s character appears to be James, the right-hand man of the cannibal David. They’re not the only actors from The Last of Us we’ll be seeing in the show. Jeffrey Pierce, who played Tommy in the games, will play Perry, an original character created for the show. And what’s even better is that Merle Dandridge, the actress who played Fireflies leader Marlene, will be reprising her role in the show, the only actor from the games to do so.
credit: The Last of Us
It’s quite the lineup, and they all had their standout moments in the trailers. But with the show’s release date right around the corner, more thrilling footage drops online. It’s all hearing familiar dialogue, more original characters’ moments, and some terrifying shots of the infected. Even Joel breaks down the main threats that plagued him and Ellie during the games. The Last of Us fans remember them all too well, the hostile human raiders, the mindless infected humans, and the deformed clickers. We get clear shots of them in the new footage,, which is horrifying. This is just a taste of what’s to come, and when the show comes next month, we’ll probably be getting that same pulse-pounding feeling we all felt while playing the game.
What are your thoughts on the footage, The Last of Us fans? If all of this doesn’t get you more excited for the show, revisit the first game as a warm-up. This could even be a turning point for video game adaptations.
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