How The Last of Us TV series defied expectations – ‘No one could have anticipated this,’ co-creator says
- Neil Druckmann, co-creator of The Last of US TV series and creator of the original video game, talks about the joy of seeing new people connect with the story
- The finale drew a series high of 8.2 million people in the US, with fans already speculating about Emmy nominations for Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey
In the HBO series The Last of Us, a fungal infection has taken over Earth, rendering the United States an apocalyptic landscape that protagonists Joel and Ellie need to traverse.
Fans unfamiliar with the video game, from which the series was adapted, might assume this is just another zombie show packed with action and gore. However, the series, whose first season recently concluded, has not only won over gamers with high expectations, but also people who don’t play video games.
“No one could have anticipated this, this reaction and how positive it’s been and how broad it’s been in its reach,” says Neil Druckmann, Naughty Dog co-president and the creator and writer of the video game, who was also the co-creator, writer and an executive producer on the show.
“And to see a whole bunch of new people connecting with these characters … and hearing how they interpret the material and what they like or not like, it’s just been really fascinating to me,” he says.
The series premiere drew 4.7 million viewers in the US, based on Nielsen and HBO data, making for HBO’s second-largest debut, behind House of the Dragon. HBO said the finale drew a series high of 8.2 million people.