Latest news with #CraigMazin
Khaleej Times
2 hours ago
- Business
- Khaleej Times
'The Last of Us' games surge in sales after HBO Season 2 finale
Nearly a decade after its original release, The Last of Us continues to dominate the gaming charts — and now, it's doing so on the back of its critically acclaimed TV counterpart. Following the emotional finale of HBO's The Last of Us Season 2, both remastered versions of Naughty Dog's beloved horror-adventure titles are seeing a dramatic spike in sales. According to Amazon's US charts, The Last of Us Part II Remastered is currently the #1 best-selling PS5 game, just behind the PlayStation 5 Pro console in overall listings. Its predecessor, The Last of Us Part I, sits close behind at #3, edged out only by Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree – Deluxe Edition. The renewed momentum around the games is no coincidence. HBO's live-action adaptation — a collaboration between series creator Neil Druckmann and Chernobyl showrunner Craig Mazin — has captivated audiences with its faithful yet cinematic storytelling. After earning five Primetime Emmy nominations for its first season, the show's sophomore run has been met with equal acclaim, frequently hailed as 'the best video game adaptation of all time.' Fans have clearly responded — not just with viewership, but with their wallets. While the HBO series has undeniably driven interest back to the games, timely discounts have also sweetened the deal for new and returning players. As of now, The Last of Us Part II Remastered is marked down by 40%, while Part I enjoys a steep 57% discount on Amazon. The combination of renewed narrative interest and attractive pricing has helped both titles resurface as must-plays on the PlayStation 5. The franchise's haunting story, emotionally grounded performances, and refined gameplay have long made it a pillar of Sony's first-party lineup. Both The Last of Us and Part II remain among the best-selling games on their respective platforms — and now, thanks to a perfect storm of critical acclaim and pop culture relevance, their legacy continues to grow. While developer Naughty Dog has yet to officially confirm a third mainline game, rumours continue to swirl. Industry insiders have hinted at early casting calls for The Last of Us Part III, suggesting that a continuation of Ellie's journey may already be in motion behind the scenes. Meanwhile, HBO has already greenlit a third season of the series, promising to explore deeper corners of Part II 's harrowing narrative. With both the gaming and television adaptations thriving in tandem, The Last of Us has proven it's not just a series — it's a cultural phenomenon. The Last of Us has never been more alive.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Why The Last of Us Changed Key Scene in Season 2 Finale
The Last of Us' Season 2 finale featured several shocking deaths. One of the most talked-about scenes from the finale occurred in the aquarium. Ellie holds two of Abby's friends, Owen and a pregnant Mel, at gunpoint. When Owen reaches for a gun, Ellie shoots him dead. However, the bullet also strikes Mel in the neck. A horrified Ellie holds Mel as she and the baby die. Owen and Mel are also killed in the video game. However, there is another death that the show's creators did not include in the The Last of Us Season 2 finale In the game, Ellie first kills Alice the dog upon entering the aquarium. When the video game shifts to Abby's POV, gamers can play as Abby with Alice by her side. Co-showrunner Craig Mazin joked that since he killed dogs in his previous show, Chernobyl, he couldn't do it again for The Last of Us. 'You get one dog-murdering episode a lifetime,' Mazin said in a press conference via GamesRadar+. 'There are two cardinal rules in Hollywood. One, don't spend your own money. Two, don't kill the dog.' The real reason behind eliminating the dog's death revolved around live-action violence and how it comes off much worse than animation. 'We had a situation where a number of horrible things were happening,' Mazin said. 'Plus, because it's live-action, the nature of violence becomes much more graphic. It's more graphic. Because it's not like there's an animation between you and it; it's people. And it's very disturbing.' Co-showrunner Neil Druckmann also noted that the show already had a run of violent scenes, including Ellie's near-lynching on Seraphite Island, Owen's murder, and Mel's death. 'In our conversation, we're like, this is probably one too many,' Druckmann said about cutting Alice's death from the show. The Last of Us Season 2 is now streaming on HBO Max. Originally reported by Dab Girolamo on SuperHeroHype. The post Why The Last of Us Changed Key Scene in Season 2 Finale appeared first on - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More.
Forbes
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘The Last Of Us' Shot A Game-Accurate Ellie Fight They Didn't Use
The Last of Us In the wake of The Last of Us finale, more information continues to emerge, and it's not welcome news to fans. This time, it manages to upset a number of different camps. It's been revealed that The Last of Us shot a game-accurate version of (spoilers) the Mel, Owen and Ellie encounter, as some had theorized with previous set shots of the cast looking battered. Co-showrunner Craig Mazin confirmed a sequence had been shot but ultimately was not used because, well, here's his explanation via THR: It's a frustrating decision for several different groups who often don't align on much regarding the show: The Last of Us It's also inconsistent with the Ellie the show built, namely how there's a specific sequence where Ellie takes down a large man, seemingly establishing that she could have done this. But also, there's nothing that says Ellie needs to fist-fight here; she has a gun and she usually has a knife on her. But turning this into an accidental killing with no fight at all also takes away from who her character is supposed to be. This comes in the wake of podcast comments from Mazin that Abby is more 'capable' than Ellie, something that is again not demonstrated by the games. All of this adds up to the fact that an entirely new Ellie has been written for season 2, and seemingly for the rest of the show going forward, which is frustrating to almost anyone with a dog in this fight. Follow me on Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram. Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.
Geek Feed
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Feed
Save the Dog: Why They Cut Alice from the Last of Us Finale
The Last of Us finale had come as a shock to several viewers, but anyone who's played the game knew exactly what was coming… sort of. Fans online have been discussing all sorts of changes the series has been doing compared to the game, and a lot of fans were wondering just where Alice a.k.a. Mel's WLF-trained dog was. Since the dog was ultimately going to be killed by Ellie, showrunner Craig Mazin thought that having Ellie kill a dog would have been 'one too much' for the scene. Talking to Polygon, Mazin explains , 'There are two cardinal rules in Hollywood, one, don't spend your own money, two, don't kill a dog… Plus, because it's live action, the nature of violence becomes much more, well, graphic. It's more graphic because…it's not like there's an animation between you and it, [and] it's very disturbing.' Seeing that Ellie already kills Owen, Mel, and (indirectly) Mel's baby (plus Jessie gets shot); it was game creator Neil Druckmann who said, '…in our conversation, we're like this [is] probably one too many.' Interestingly enough, some fans were complaining that Mazin was so 'fine' with dog murder in Chernobyl , to which he actually addresses that in the interview, 'I think you get like one dog murdering episode a lifetime.' If anything, most of the audience's investment on Alice actually comes from Abby's side of the story since players get to interact and even play with her in the game. No doubt Alice will probably be introduced in the next season, but who knows, maybe it's Tommy that offs her this time. We'll just have to wait and see. Check out the complete second season of The Last of Us now streaming on HBO Max.
Forbes
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘The Last Of Us' Showrunner Says Ellie Is Incompetent Compared To Abby
The Last of Us There has been a general sense that Ellie's character has veered well outside the lines of the source material in The Last of Us season 2. Now, there appears to be actual documentation that fans can point to and say, 'See, they don't get it.' One of the biggest complaints about season 2 of The Last of Us is that Ellie has been made out to be kind of an idiot. She lurches forward attempting to get revenge for Joel, with Dina handling all logistics. Her reactions and emotions to situations are often bizarre. And her combat prowess is almost non-existent, with practically no kills and half of them being by accident. Now, co-showrunner and the writer of most of the season, Craig Mazin, appears to be spelling out his view of Ellie, and it's what everyone is complaining about. This is an excerpt from the post-finale Last of Us podcast with Mazin: 'Abby is seemingly not like Ellie, in that Abby is incredibly competent…When Abby gets into the theater, she doesn't screw up…She is in complete control of the situation.' The idea that Ellie is somehow incompetent or dumb is not at all how she's portrayed in the game or even in season 1 of this show, where she's repeatedly called smart and just not living up to her potential. In the second game, Ellie activates that potential and becomes a revenge-fueled killing machine that is a match for Abby, which is a key part of the game. It's not that Abby never gets the drop on her, but calling Abby 'competent' compared to the bumbling kid that Ellie has morphed into in season 2 is so frustrating. This 'she's just a dumb kid flying by the seat of her pants' is so misaligned with every part of the second game, as at one point (spoilers) she acts as an actual, terrifying level boss as you fight as Abby, more than a 'competent' match for her. Ellie Again, this isn't even in line with the show itself. Season 1 Ellie is smart. Season 2 Ellie has, at the very least, been doing combat training and has had five years to prepare for an inevitable hunt like this. Then they just throw all that out (remember that rifle that Seth ceremoniously gave her that she hasn't used once?) for whatever this is. There are clips we've seen that were never used (Ellie firing an assault rifle) and scripted fight sequences that never happened. You can say that Ellie was reshaped for the TV audience, and while that may be true, it's a worse version of the character and one that doesn't even match the Ellie the show spent a year building. It's beyond frustrating to hear Mazin say things like this. Follow me on Twitter, YouTube, Bluesky and Instagram. Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.
