While the post-apocalyptic series The Last of Us is indeed a TV adaptation of the video game of the same name, it’s far from a direct, frame-by-frame recreation — and that’s exactly how the creators intended it.
Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann have openly said that their goal from the start was to offer a slightly reimagined, "refreshed" take on the original game. That’s why the actors were encouraged to focus on the script rather than drawing from personal experience playing the game. But with a major new cast member in Season 2, that plan didn’t exactly work out — though, fortunately, it didn’t hurt the quality of the show either.
The creators of The Last of Us told Kaitlyn Dever not to play the game — but it was already too late
In the hit show’s second season, Kaitlyn Dever takes on the role of Abby — a young woman determined to hunt down and kill Joel as revenge for the death of her father, one of Joel’s many victims. Fans have already praised Dever’s performance and how closely she resembles the video game character — but it turns out the actress accidentally went against the creators’ wishes.
In a recent interview, Dever was asked whether she had reached out to Laura Bailey, who voiced and portrayed Abby in The Last of Us Part II. Dever revealed that she had indeed wanted to speak with Bailey about the role — but never got the chance. Around that same time, the show’s creators asked her not to seek out information about the character — not from Bailey, not even by playing the game itself.
But as Dever admits, that request came a little too late. By then, she had already played through more than half of The Last of Us Part II, and had completed the first game several times.
Kaitlyn Dever will return for Season 3 of The Last of Us
While many fans are still reeling from the loss of Pedro Pascal’s character, Dever is now set to become a central figure in the show’s main storyline, with her role as Abby continuing into the upcoming third season — though production hasn’t yet begun.
Despite ongoing criticism from die-hard fans accusing the series of misinterpreting the game’s events, The Last of Us has already proven itself more than capable of standing on its own — and may even surpass the original in the long run.
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