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Cinematographer Eben Bolter reveals why the word 'Zombie' was banned on the sets of 'The Last of Us'

'There’s a lot of things The Last of Us is not,' Eben Bolter reportedly said

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA : Don't even consider referring to 'The Last of Us' on HBO Max as a zombie show. The 10-episode first season of the video game adaptation's four episodes were captured by Eben Bolter, who recently revealed that calling the show a zombie show or using the word "zombie" to describe the undead characters was strictly forbidden on the sets.

A brain-eating fungus has decimated the human population in the world of 'The Last of Us'. The fungus changes the undead's bodies, giving them a completely different appearance even if they behave like zombies. Depending on what stage of the virus they are in, the undead are referred to as "clickers" and "bloaters."

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The Z-word was banned

Bolter revealed on 'The Credits' podcast that the word was banned in order to keep a greater focus on the characters, who were focal to the series. He said, "We weren’t allowed to say the Z word on set. It was like a banned word. They were the Infected. We weren’t a zombie show. Of course, there’s tension building and jump scares but the show’s really about our characters; The Infected are an obstacle they have to deal with".

“There’s a lot of things The Last of Us is not,” the cinematographer continued, adding, “It’s not a cliché zombie movie, it’s not Hollywood backlit where everyone’s close-up is perfect. It’s a world of organic cinematic naturalism, and that’s something I could just feel.”

The main difference

In 'The Last of Us', a mutated strain of the Cordyceps fungus transforms those it infects into rabid, cannibalistic killers which led to humanity being almost wiped out. The Infected have a shared consciousness that connects them with not just one another, but also any strands of the fungus buried deep beneath the earth across the world. 

The science behind the connection between the Infected and their environment allows them to be aware of the locations of possible victims, should they come in contact with Cordyceps patches. The Infected have developed in recent episodes into a more powerful, lethal and frightful species with their own special capabilities. The Clickers were first revealed to viewers in Episode 2. This version of the Infected can use echolocation to hunt while being blinded by fungal plates growing on their heads. Bloaters, whose entire bodies are coated in tough fungal plates that can withstand gunshots and have the strength to tear humans apart, are the those who have been exposed to the infection for years.