Apparently, when it comes to news about video game adaptations, it never rains but it pours. Soon after we learned about the ill-conceived Resident Evil TV show, Naughty Dog has released more info regarding The Last of Us' silver screen conversion. Specifically, the original game's writer Neil Druckmann has stated that several cuts have had to be made in order to properly condense the story into a movie.
"It’s been really difficult to cut certain things out, but what I’m starting to get is this really focused narrative that’s about these two characters," he said. "Some parts will be similar to the game and some parts will be quite different, but it’s kind of interesting in helping me understand this other medium and its strengths compared to video games.”
While there's absolutely no reason that this movie has to be terrible, we're still not completely convinced that the story makes sense in a filmic context. With that said, the original writer is at the helm, so it's certainly in the right hands. Will you be taking a trip to the theatre to see The Last of Us, or was the remastered version more than enough? Head to the candy bar in the comments section below.
[source vg247.com]
Comments 16
They should have made a walking dead style tv show and launched it on the PlayStation TV channel. I don't think this will work as a movie. It won't have the time to show the relationship between Ellie and Joel developing.
I think this could be a really amazing movie.. I've been thinking on who would be awesome to play Joel and I think josh Brolin would be amazing playing the part. He just seems perfect to me.
Wasn't it supposed to be a whole new story...
@SimonAdebisi Nope, its a cut-down movie version of the game.
@Punished_Boss pointless.
@voodoo341 every other movie about a couple/duo has been able to. 2 hrs is a lot of cutscenes.
I say it should star a genuine Texan cowboy, snotty teenager, pissed lady, hick brother, gay friend, and last but not least a pissed gay snotty teenager friend. It'll be harder to buy the story in live action, so I sincerely hope it's amazeballs. I wonder what gets cut out? I mean isn't every scene important?😟
@SimonAdebisi How is it pointless?
@AeroZeppelin - Because the games story has all ready been told via the game?
@charlesnarles fair point about other movies managing it. However, they are normally telling a fresh story. The Last of Us contains a strong story that already exists in a fairly cinematic format, has been praised for it's storytelling and character development most of all, and takes approx 15+ hours to tell it's tale.
I'm a little concerned myself, if only because unlike a book to movie adaptation (which, despite usually being worse anyway, at least have some potential to add something with the new visual element), I just can't work out any way they can use the 2 hour movie format to add anything of value to it. Conversely, as already suggested by the Druckmann's comments, there is plenty of scope for elements to be lost in translation.
Could still be great, in fairness, as the guy has some serious talent. But they've definitely got their work cut out for them! Fingers crossed though
@SimonAdebisi @Splat Not everybody plays video games some people don't like them therefore they never play them so they'll never get to experience the story but with this movie they can the majority of the general movie going audience haven't played the last of us
Ellie is now a boy named Elroy, and is played by Jaden Smith. Joel is now A man called Will Smith, who is played by Will Smith. The story is now a comedic romp about courage and features at least one rap about how we can beat infection through not being scared. The movie is PG 13 and the Clickers are now moody teenage vampires who are created using CGI. The Smiths have a sassy canine chum called Duke who has a subplot about his girlfriend being infected.
The Smiths are eventually cornered by said moody vampires but ride away on giraffes before blowing everything up and saving the world with a cure that Will found scrawled on the side of a Subway wrapper. It is heavily implied throughout that Will may be some sort of religious figure. Music by Willow Smith, directed by Ang Lee.
You heard it here first.
Now we get to see how committed Druckmann is to the idea that the little girl in his story has to be a lesbian.
@Longaway I think whether or not Ellie is gay makes no difference to the story. Plus I don't think you can definitively say that she is. Clearly she loved Riley, but it does not necessarily follow that it was a sexual love. In the situation they were facing, in a post apocalyptic world, I believe that a platonic love could be equally as strong. I also firmly believe any lesbian connotations are deliberately ambiguous so the player can make their own mind up.
@chazaroonie Druckmann has explicitly said, in various interviews, that he wrote her as a lesbian, and that is how he intended the character to be. Far be it for me to determine why an adult writer would decide that a child character needed to have a sexual backstory, but I will find it interesting to see if, after he's made the point multiple times, he stands his ground on the issue.
@AeroZeppelin its an interactive experience. Its not the same as a book adaptation imo
@Longaway Apologies, I've not seen any interviews with him saying that. Honestly, I'm a touch disappointed to discover that he has actively written her specifically as a lesbian. I think it's nicer for the player to make their own mind up. That way it adds to the whole mystery and from my point of view the enjoyment. Saying that though, gamers can be a notoriously demanding audience, with some wanting to know every facet and minute detail of a character's back story rather than taking what they want to from the experience.
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