Summary
- Sony has pulled an interview with The Last of Us creator Neil Druckmann over editing misrepresentation of his words.
- Druckmann called out Sony for separating his words from their original context after deleting the interview.
- Sony issued an apology to Druckmann for misrepresenting his words and the negative impact caused by the incident.
Sony has pulled a controversial interview featuring The Last of Us creator Neil Druckmann due to misrepresenting his answers through editing. The deleted interview featured a question about Naughty Dog's next game, with a quote attributed to Druckmann claiming it could "redefine mainstream perceptions of gaming." Sony pulled the interview after Druckmann called out the misrepresentation of his words via a post on X/Twitter.
"In editing my rambling answers in my recent interview with Sony, some of my words, context, and intent were unfortunately lost," Druckmann said in the post.
The video game creator then posted the edited version alongside the full, unedited transcript of his answer, showing how far his words had been separated from their original context.
Druckmann's post came as a surprise to many fans. Given that Sony owns Naughty Dog, it was unusual to see a creator call out their own parent company so publicly. However, Druckmann's words were so apparently misrepresented, it seems he had little choice. Following the incident, Sony issued their own statement after removing the interview, apologizing to Neil Druckmann. Their statement read:
"In re-reviewing our recent interview with Naughty Dog's Neil Druckmann, we have found several significant errors and inaccuracies that don't represent his perspective and values (including topics such as animation, writing, technology, AI, and future projects). We apologize to Neil for misrepresenting his words and for any negative impact this interview might have caused him and his team. In coordination with Naughty Dog and SIE, we have removed the interview."
The Last of Us Season 2's Cast Keeps Growing
Following the tremendous, multiple Emmy winning success of HBO's The Last of Us adaptation, season 2 was quickly greenlit and is currently in production. While season 1 adapted the entirety of the first game in Naughty Dog's post-apocalyptic franchise, season 2 is taking a slower approach. Naughty Dog's follow-up game, The Last of Us Part 2, will be split over 2 seasons.
As co-creators Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin work on season 2, they have teased audiences by drip-feeding casting announcements. Alongside Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey returning as Joel and Ellie (it wouldn't be much of a show without them), season 2 will also feature Abby, a skilled soldier and major character from the second game, who will be played by Dopesick's Kaitlyn Dever. Isabela Merced (Transformers: The Last Knight) has also joined season 2 as Dina, a companion and potential love interest to Ellie in the game.
The latest casting announcement actually sees an actor from the second game reprising their role in HBO's live-action adaptation. American Fiction and The Batman star Jeffrey Wright is reprising his role as Isaac from The Last of Us Part 2 in season 2 of the show. Isaac was a major rival of Abby, as both character's militia groups were locked in a seemingly unending conflict for resources and control in the new world.
Season 2 is currently in production, with shooting taking place in Vancouver (as revealed by behind-the-scenes set photos). No fixed release date has yet been announced, but season 2 of The Last of Us is expected to release sometime in 2025.
