When <\/span>The Last of Us<\/span><\/a> was first announced in March 2020 by HBO<\/a>, as a fan of the games, you\u2019d be forgiven for that lingering feeling of concern in the pit of your stomach. <\/span><\/p>\n After all, video games don\u2019t have the best track record for live action adaptations<\/a>. <\/span>Uncharted<\/span>, <\/span>Resident Evil <\/span>and <\/span>Assassin\u2019s Creed<\/span><\/a> are just a few that attempted to make the jump into live action, only to never quite capture the magic that their source material possessed.<\/span><\/p>\n Thankfully, <\/span>The Last of Us<\/span> understood the assignment perfectly, with bold storytelling, pitch-perfect performances and a supreme understanding of what made the game so special, hopefully ushering in a new age for video game adaptations. Amazon and its upcoming <\/span>God of War<\/span><\/a> show should take plenty on board.<\/span><\/p>\n Much like <\/span>The Last of Us<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>God of War<\/span> is a rare blend of high-stakes action mixed with powerful, emotionally resonant storytelling that helped to transcend your typical video game. It\u2019s for this reason that Amazon clamoured to secure the rights, and why <\/span>God of War<\/span> has the potential to help video game adaptations continue to break the curse of shoddiness that has plagued the genre for so long.<\/span><\/p>\n One sure-fire way to give <\/span>God of War<\/span> a chance of building on what <\/span>The Last of Us<\/span> has achieved is by following suit with its cast and its crew. <\/span>The Last of Us<\/span> is written not just by Craig Mazin, the incredible mind behind <\/span>Chernobyl<\/span>, but also by Neil Druckmann<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 the writer of the original games.<\/span><\/p>\n Immediately giving the show a voice who fully understands the overall theme has been a small but masterful stroke, and one that Amazon has continued with Cory Barlog, creative director behind the <\/span>God of War<\/span> games, being attached to the show as an executive producer. <\/span><\/p>\n Barlog, who\u2019s previously opened up on his own connection to the theme of fatherhood in God of War, has a<\/span> level of care that translates perfectly to the game, and you feel the depth of emotion in each passing moment. His significant role in the show should bring that emotional heft with it, translating the game to screen with the same success as <\/span>The Last of Us<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n Just as important, however, is the casting<\/a>. We have no details for who Amazon will look towards to fill the shoes of Kratos and Atreus, our father\/son protagonists, but it\u2019s vital they cast on par with HBO and their Pedro Pascal\/Bella Ramsey pairing. Pascal, known for his work in <\/span>Game of Thrones<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Narcos<\/span> and <\/span>The Mandalorian<\/span><\/a>, has reached a point where you immediately buy into any of his new projects, while Ramsey was herself a <\/span>Game of Thrones<\/span> standout at a point where the show was beginning its decline. <\/span><\/p>\n Their chemistry as Joel and Ellie is tender and forceful, perfectly conveying their internal struggles of loss and loneliness, and the dynamic between Kratos and Atreus is similar. One is a hulking rage-filled god far from home, seeking peace and atonement for past sins. The other is a child, unaware of their importance, their power, desperate for paternal love. Similarly to <\/span>The Last of Us<\/span>, these characters have far more potential to achieve a kind of acclaim than previous attempts at video game adaptations, given the nuanced nature of their arcs.<\/span><\/p>\n![\"""\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2023\/03\/0902TheLastOfUsS01-217073c.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
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