The Last of Us follows the journey of Joel and Ellie as they make their way across the infected terrains of the United States, all the while battling other infected and not-so-welcoming humans. All the popular characters from the critically acclaimed video game series have been personified for the big screen and feature names like Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey, and Anna Torv in the leading roles. While the game takes place in the year 2033, the TV show is somewhat different in its approach.
According to an interview on Insider, Neil Druckmann, the creator of the game, and Chernobyl director Craig Mazin mentioned why they would prefer the TV show to take place in a different timeline. The show currently takes place in the year 2023, which is a decade earlier than in the game. Mazin mentioned in the interview that viewers would connect more if the show takes place in the same timeline, as opposed to if the events took place in the future.
“I just had this thing where if I’m watching a show and it takes place 20 years in the future from my time now, it just seems less real, I’m just less connected.” – Craig Mazin
Mazin also mentioned how it was an interesting idea to explore the early 2000s, just after the virus took over. The game and TV show draw inspiration from the 1918’s influenza pandemic, and how it affected human interaction. The same was portrayed when the unknown virus seemingly took over the human population. Currently, only Episode 1 is out and gives viewers a glimpse into the chaotic world that Joel and Ellie are battling.
If you like this post you can check out our other articles like WHO PLAYS BILL AND FRANK IN THE LAST OF US TV SHOW? and THE LAST OF US EVERY EPISODE RELEASE DATE AND TIME (HBO)