'The Last of Us' original cold opening was 'more boring' say creators Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: The recently released HBO Original series 'The Last of Us' has made fans instant addicts to the show. Ever since HBO announced the show based on the hugely popular video game, fans have been wondering if it would do justice to the story. Now, it is safe to say that the premise that has been set up in the first episode has satisfied both critics and fans equally.
After the roaring success of 'Uncharted', fans of the gaming world have been eager to witness the rendition of yet another massive hit. 'The Last of Us' was THE game to adapt and at the top of most gamers' wishlist. The primary cast includes Pedro Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsey as Ellie, along with an intriguing representation of the post-apocalyptic world. As with the game, the show has audiences hooked to the series. The way creators Neil Druckmann, and Craig Mazin have handled the show is laudable but originally, the pilot episode had a very different beginning. The show's cold opening, as it has come to our screens now, is not the one originally shot.
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On the, 'The Last of Us Podcast: Episode 1' (HBO Max's weekly after-show podcast) with Troy Baker, creators Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin talked about the process, themes and construction of the story behind the show. How the complicated emotion of love plays an integral part in the proceedings of the story through all the characters, in each episode, throughout the series.
During the talk about the cold opening of the show, showrunner Craig pitched the idea twice to Druckmann with ants being taken over by cordyceps and to recreate it. Though it was a compelling opening, it was akin to a classroom lecture — not exactly delivering in the thrills department. The opening for the show was changed just before 3 or 4 weeks after wrapping.
"It's Planet Earth, you can watch this beautiful demonstration of how cordyceps works, how it takes over an ant. It's quite horrifying. It tells you everything you need to know. What we decided to do was make our own video like that," explained the creators. The cold opening of 'The Last of Us' is now a conversation with Dr Newman, an epidemiologist about the harmful viruses, bacteria and fungi and it sets up the premise of the show perfectly.
New episodes of 'The Last of Us' drop weekly, every Sunday at 9 pm ET on HBO. Show episodes will also be available on HBO Max.
