Naughty Canine’s first effort to adapt The Final of Us for the display was not as an HBO TV present, however a film, a undeniable fact that lately started doing the rounds once more on social media. Like with many Hollywood productions, The Final of Us had a tumultuous, lengthy improvement interval as a film earlier than it was in the end deserted in favor of what’s now a success sequence.
Whereas not everybody agrees with the artistic departures from the supply materials for the TV sequence on HBO, it is undeniably successful and one in every of HBO’s greatest hits recently. Let’s look again at how The Final of Us originated as a film and run by the important thing developments that led to it turning into a TV present.
The unique film pitch
Folks throughout X lately found a publish from Sony Footage in 2014 declaring that The Final of Us was “quickly to be a significant movement image.”
This was an actual, studio-sponsored picture, not a fan mock-up. There was formally produced key artwork, exhibiting Ellie wielding a knife. There was a “secret panel” at San Diego Comedian-Con that 12 months that includes director Sam Raimi, who was initially hooked up to provide the film, having already had enormous success at Sony together with his Spider-Man movies.
That The Final of Us was initially going to be a film isn’t a surprise given what number of online game films got here earlier than it and what number of have been launched since (with various levels of success).
This was a 12 months after The Final of Us got here out in 2013. It was a sizzling property, as the sport was a essential and a business success for Naughty Canine and Sony. With Sony additionally proudly owning and working its personal movie studio, all of the synergies had been there for Sony to make a Final of Us movie.
Neil Druckmann, who directed The Final of Us sport, confirmed in 2014 that the film would adapt the story of The Final of Us, versus branching off in another method. On the time, Druckmann stated the film would “keep in mind the distinctive properties of movie,” however he confused it was early days and the staff hadn’t but mapped out how it will condense the sport’s story right into a two-hour movie. In 2015, Druckmann confirmed he had written a second draft of the film’s script, which he stated contained “fairly large adjustments” from the supply materials.
It was additionally presently that Druckmann stated a desk learn had already taken place with “a bunch of actors,” although he didn’t title any outright. Sport of Thrones star Maisie Williams was stated to be a frontrunner to play Ellie, and many individuals stated that casting was good. Williams herself confirmed she met with Druckmann and Raimi about it, however remarked on the time that there was no script or director at that time. Williams, who was 17 on the time, additionally joked on the time that she hoped Sony would make the film rapidly as a result of, “In the event that they make it in 30 years, they can not have a 40-year-old Ellie.” Kaitlyn Dever was additionally thought of for the function of Ellie within the movie, and, spoiler alert: Dever would go on to play Ellie’s adversary, Abby, within the HBO TV present.
Improvement Hell
Hollywood productions can take numerous time to come back collectively, and when the manufacturing course of goes on for an prolonged time period, that is referred to as “Improvement Hell.” The Final of Us film was one more instance of this unlucky phenomenon.
In 2016, Druckmann stated the film hadn’t progressed for “over a 12 months” at that time. “It sort of entered improvement hell like this stuff are inclined to do,” he stated. The film additionally by no means had a director signed on, nor was there a solid or a launch date.
This would not be the final time a Naughty Canine movie mission was topic to improvement hell, because the Uncharted film is a really notorious instance of this, however that did finally come collectively for launch in 2022 after a decade of improvement.
The Final of Us “would have been terrible” as a film
Druckmann stated in an interview with Sacred Symbols that film executives informed him to “make it larger, make it extra like World Struggle Z,” and he pushed again in opposition to this. “Go make World Struggle Z. Why make The Final of Us? The Final of Us is just not that,” he stated. Conversely, Druckmann stated HBO boss Casey Bloys informed him, “‘Do as a lot motion as you want to, and no extra. Do as a lot violence as you want to, and no extra. Right here, we promote drama.'”
Druckmann stated he acquired the other notes when The Final of Us was envisioned as a characteristic movie. It isn’t a stretch to think about that is a part of the explanation why Naughty Canine opted for a TV present as an alternative of a movie, along with there being a extra supportive and understanding staff at HBO to provide and again the present.
Druckmann additionally stated HBO approached the supply materials with “such reverence and artistry,” making certain Naughty Canine can be concerned within the course of too. This isn’t at all times the case, after all, because the Baldur’s Gate TV sequence at HBO doesn’t contain Larian Studios. Druckmann additionally talked about that HBO was supportive of the numerous adjustments to the supply materials that Druckmann and author/showrunner Craig Mazin made.
Showing on Logically Talking in 2024, Druckmann stated the film model of The Final of Us “would have been terrible.” He stated, “It might have been a type of unhealthy variations had we completed that one.”
“You’ve two hours, max, and the suggestions I acquired was, ‘This may lead it down a nasty path,'” he added.
In a latest interview with GamesBeat, Druckmann stated he modified his thoughts about tips on how to method such tasks. Whereas in 2014 he stated The Final of Us film can be an adaptation of the sport, in 2016, he stated Naughty Canine had “advanced our emotions” about variations.
“As time goes on, we’re not excited by a direct adaptation of a narrative for a sport right into a film,” Druckmann stated. “We have now informed that story effectively, cinematically. The thought for The Final of Us movie was to be a direct adaptation. I don’t need that film to be made.”
Druckmann certainly acquired his want, and that film was by no means made. The TV sequence with HBO, in the meantime, premiered in January 2023, and its first season–starring Bella Ramsey as Ellie and Pedro Pascal as Joel–was an enormous success when it comes to essential reception and viewership numbers. A second season aired in 2025, and was equally profitable, although not fairly to the identical diploma. A 3rd–and probably closing–season is within the works now, however Druckmann dropped out to deal with Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet and different tasks at Naughty Canine (perhaps The Final of Us 3?).
