Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann have confirmed that Season 2 of The Last of Us will feature similar changes to the source material as Season 1. The first season of HBO's hit adaptation was adored by critics and general audiences, as well as fans of the video games. The series ripped entire scenes and sequences right out of Naughty Dog Studio's beloved franchise of the same name, and has been called one of the most faithful video game adaptations so far. Surprisingly, Season 1 received even more praise for the changes it made to the source material. Though it didn't cut major characters or needlessly alter character details, Season 1 took underdeveloped characters from the video game and gave them a new life on TV. According to Mazin and Druckmann, Season 2 will do exactly the same.
"Our goal is to tell the best story possible," Neil Druckmann told Variety. Luckily for Druckmann and Mazin, The Last of Us plays like an episodic series, with a well-told, linear story that's perfectly segmented into chapters. The pair said that they didn't try and change elements that already felt perfectly suited for TV. Druckmann continued:
"And then our process is to just look at the content we have in the game and say, 'OK, what are things that we both just overwhelmingly love and feel could be adapted as is?'"
While Druckmann and Mazin don't set out to needlessly alter aspects of the game, the hit HBO series has given Druckmann (who also created the video games) a second opportunity to expand upon areas that might be lacking. The pair said that Season 2 will feature similar changes, referencing the seminal Season 1 episode, "Long, Long Time," which greatly expanded the backstory of Bill and Frank, two underutilized characters from the game. Druckmann said:
"[It's important to] recognize areas that just don't work because they're designed for this interactive medium, and then start brainstorming."
HBO's The Last Of Us "Expands" the Game
Any form of adaptation from one medium to another will require some level of alteration. Even a game as well-designed for TV as The Last of Us requires some minor changes to translate large gameplay segments into an episodic series. Neil Druckmann explained that they use those required changes as an opportunity to expand the games' lore, adding another layer to the story when fans replay the games.
"How do we expand this world? How will we build this world?" Druckmann wondered. Referring again to the Bill and Frank episode – which is truly phenomenal – Druckmann wanted players to feel more connected to the characters when they replayed The Last of Us after watching the show. In the game, Frank is already dead, and Bill only appears in a single chapter, aiding Joel and Ellie on their mission. HBO's series gave the couple their own dedicated episode, instantly making them two of the best characters in the franchise. Druckmann continued:
"Sometimes the best surprises for players are when they get to see a backstory or, like, 'Oh, this was mentioned in the game,' and now they get to see a full episode, like Bill and Frank. It makes the game richer. To me, that's the best kind of adaptation."
