{"id":29445,"date":"2023-01-30T13:40:15","date_gmt":"2023-01-30T12:40:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=1776768"},"modified":"2023-01-31T10:13:48","modified_gmt":"2023-01-31T09:13:48","slug":"the-last-of-us-writer-was-a-wreck-during-episode-3-filming","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/the-last-of-us-writer-was-a-wreck-during-episode-3-filming\/","title":{"rendered":"The Last of Us writer was \u201ca wreck\u201d during episode 3 filming"},"content":{"rendered":"

Plenty of us can relate. <\/p>

By Louise Griffin\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Monday, 30 January 2023 at 12:00 am<\/p>

\n\n

Episode 3 of The Last of Us<\/a> has broken just about everyone\u2019s hearts \u2013 including writer Craig Mazin.<\/p>\n

The latest instalment of the HBO<\/a> show diverts from the game<\/a> in an important way, taking the focus away from Pedro Pascal\u2019s Joel and Bella Ramsey\u2019s Ellie<\/a>, and introducing Bill, played by Nick Offerman<\/a>, and Frank, played by Murray Bartlett.<\/p>\n

What follows is a beautiful story expanding on characters only briefly mentioned in the game.<\/p>\n

Episode 3 director Peter Hoar (best known for his work on It\u2019s a Sin<\/a>) has now revealed that the cast, crew, and even showrunners Mazin and Neil Druckmann, found the story just as emotional as everyone else.<\/p>\n

He said at a Q&A: \u201cQuite honestly, Craig was a wreck through episode 3 because his heart is on his sleeve. And that\u2019s how he sees the world. That\u2019s how he tells stories. And I think it would never have worked for him to do it any other way.<\/p>\n

\"""\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Nick Offerman as Bill and Murray Bartlett as Frank in The Last of Us.<\/span><\/figcaption> Liane Hentscher\/HBO<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

\u201cAnd the game is like that, people might not think it is but honestly, you\u2019ve never played a game like it \u2013 it\u2019s so heartfelt. As I said, I had to stop because it was too much to do it in one sitting. It was months in between, before I\u2019d go back and go and try and finish [the game].\u201d<\/p>\n

Cinematographer Eben Bolter added: \u201cOne great thing about Craig, I thought, with this adaptation is there was no sense of, \u2018I want to do it my way because it\u2019s better and it\u2019s about me.\u2019 It was never that, it was like a true love for the game.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd in adapting it for television, using real people, real locations, how do we sort of honour the game, like the spirit of the game, in the most truthful way? Even if it\u2019s different.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"""\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Murray Bartlett as Frank in The Last of Us.<\/span><\/figcaption> Liane Hentscher\/HBO<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Mazin is best known for series including Chernobyl, while Druckmann created The Last of Us video games.<\/p>\n

The pair, who have largely kept the series very faithful to the game, previously explained why they chose to deviate<\/a> in key moments.<\/p>

Mazin told RadioTimes.com<\/a> and other press: \u201cUltimately, adaptation is all about choices. And we can talk until our faces turn blue about how we make those choices. And there\u2019s a lot of math to it. But for me, what it always came back to was, \u2018What do I love?\u2019 What, as a fan, would I be hurt if I didn\u2019t see it in the show?<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd what do I think we would absolutely have to change to adapt to a medium that is passive, that isn\u2019t interactive, that doesn\u2019t require gameplay? And what are the things that we can be inspired by and adjust and just let ourselves be creative, but always within the bounds of \u2018what do we love?’\u201d<\/p>