The Last of Us': Pedro Pascal & Bella Ramsey on Creator to Creator
Pedro Pascal & Bella Ramsey Join ‘The Last of Us’ Creators to Discuss Bringing the Franchise to Life Pedro Pascal & Bella Ramsey Join ‘The Last of Us’ Creators to Discuss Bringing the Franchise to Life Watch series creators Craig Mazin & Neil Druckmann, who co-created the game franchise, talk about adapting a game to live-action.Pedro Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsey as Ellie in The Last of Us
Image via HBO The Last of Us has been redefining television for the last month and a half with episode after episode of tear-jerking brilliance. The latest example of this was the adaptation of the Left Behind story between Ellie and Riley this past weekend. There have been endless reasons for why the series has been so successful. Whether it has been the complex emotional heavy writing/themes or the pitch perfect horror, The Last of Us has been must-watch TV. Another reason for this would be because of the massive amount of talent involved. Co-creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, also the co-creator of the game franchise, did the seemingly impossible by finding the perfect Joel and Ellie in Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey. Now, in a new Creator to Creator round table discussion, the four artists reflect on their time making Season 1 of the breakout horror series.
An Immersive Experience
The 10-minute discussion, led by Head of PlayStation Productions Asad Qizilbash, was spent comparing the differences between creating a video game versus making a live-action series. This started with Druckmann talking about his experience directing Episode 2 which was his live-action debut. There’s so much control on the video game side of things as you create the world after the performances are recorded, but as director on the series, Druckmann described what it was like holding his breath when he said action. The weather and outdoor conditions is something you don’t have to worry about in a game, but when telling a story as grand as The Last of Us in this medium you can’t avoid it. Mainly this meant that Pascal was freezing a lot on set which both the actor and Mazin joked about.
While there’s a lot of brilliant CGI effects work done on the series, this led into talking about the breathtaking practical effects on display in Last of Us. They were dressing up full on streets and neighborhoods to look like it was post-apocalypse, and the behind-the-scenes footage coinciding with the conversation only added to the mesmerizing nature of the show. That helped fully immerse the audience in this world, but also helped Pascal and Ramsey get into their characters. It’s also just fun watching Druckmann talk about standing on set being in the world he created. You can tell how much passion and love he has for this world as well as the fans that made this series possible. The authentic nature of everything has been a big theme when anyone has brought up the series and this conversation further emphasizes The Last of Us’ amazing accomplishments. Every scene and frame thus far has felt like the game. Whether it be a one-to-one depiction or in spirit of what was told in the original, the show has the same immersive wonder as the game.
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