HBO’s The Last of Us Pilot Episode Filming Wraps
Filming on the HBO pilot for the upcoming and highly anticipated adaptation of Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us has come to an end, says its director.
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Filming on the pilot episode of HBO’s highly anticipated adaptation of The Last of Us has officially wrapped. The hugely popular video game franchise from Naughty Dog has been the subject of much conjecture over the years as talk of a feature film grew into a reality. But as it became increasingly likely that the series would make its way to the big screen, creator Neil Druckman decided that things were becoming too budget heavy and pulled back, preferring a much more stripped down and authentic feel to the survival horror story.
For a brief period following the realization that there wouldn’t be a feature film based on The Last of Us, it looked as though the closest fans would get to new material in the franchise was by playing the phenomenally good 2020 sequel, The Last of Us Part II. However, it soon became clear that a TV series was on its way and that it had been set up at one of television’s strongest networks, HBO. The 10-episode first season kicked off filming this summer in Canada, and although not a lot is currently known about how true the series will be to the original game, what has been seen of the sets during the shoot has been very familiar stuff.
When it comes to an IP like The Last of Us, fans don’t typically have to necessarily worry about the pilot episode being perfect. By already knowing the story behind Joel and Ellie’s journey, fans have a strong understanding of where the story is going and what’s in store for them as an audience. That being said, a strong pilot will assure many that the series is on the right track from the start. At any rate, the episode’s director, Kantemir Balagov, recently revealed via his official Instagram account that filming on the pilot is now complete. Check out his post below:
A post shared by Kantemir Balagov (@kantemir_balag)
As anyone who has played The Last of Us knows, the beginning of the game briefly introduces the life and world that Joel enjoyed prior to the societal collapse brought on by the mutated strain of the Cordyceps fungus. The death of his daughter Sarah is explained, but many fans feel that the pilot episode will use this time to delve deeper into the relationship between Joel and his daughter before introducing the reality of the post-apocalyptic world in later episodes. It is an important part of who Joel is and it does need explaining, but the real test for The Last of Us will arguably come in its depiction of Runners, Stalkers and Clickers and the battles that will take place between these creatures, Joel and Ellie.
A series like The Last of Us isn’t exactly a guaranteed hit, as nothing can be guaranteed when it comes to adapting something so beloved. But it is perhaps, the next closest thing to a guaranteed hit. One only needs to look at the success of a TV series like The Walking Dead for confirmation that terrifying post-apocalyptic drama is a big draw for audiences. Add on the fact that the series already has a built in fanbase, and not much can stand in its way.
Link Source : https://screenrant.com/last-of-us-pilot-episode-filming-complete-update/