Summary
- The Last of Us composer was confused about Kaitlyn Dever playing Abby in season 2.
- Abby's role is the focus of season 3, confirming multiple seasons ahead.
- Changes in Abby's physical appearance from the game to the show were necessary for adaptation.
The composer for The Last of Us TV series has revealed how confused he was when he initially learned that the show had confirmed that Kaitlyn Dever would be jumping into the role of Abby Anderson in season 2. Now that season 2 of HBO's The Last of Us is done and dusted, conversations have turned towards its next installment into Naughty Dog's gaming sequel, The Last of Us Part 2, from which the show is adapted.
While fans knew there would be some changes to The Last of Us season 2's returning episodes, some really didn't appreciate such key details from the game being moved around or even removed. For instance, some fans of the video game were confused about the porch scene between Joel and Ellie being moved to the penultimate episode, feeling like it diminished the impact of key moments in the story or how Ellie was portrayed as being less traumatized and vengeful in Season 2 than how the character was in the game. While it's hard to get everything right when adapting a highly popular video game to the small screen, co-creators Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin did a stellar job overall, implementing stunning aspects like its post-apocalyptic environments and capturing the terror of the game's infected, especially the creepy stalkers and the imposing Bloater as it bulldozed through Jackson. However, it seems as though even the show's composer was scratching his head over Kaitlyn Dever landing the role of Abby.
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The Last of Us TV Composer Was Baffled About Kaitlyn Dever Being Cast as Abby
While speaking on The Last of Us Podcast: Savage Starlight, Jake Staley, a composer and producer whose work can be heard in movies and TV shows like Sweet Tooth, The Middleman and Lift, talked about why the introduction of Kaitlyn Dever taking on the role of Abby Anderson in The Last of Us season 2 made him utterly confused. “I know the games somewhat, so I’m like, ‘Okay, what’s with these casting choices?’” Staley expressed. “The Abby one, specifically, I’m a little confused about, and maybe I’m not the only one.”
Staley went on to say that he understood the show wanting Dever due to her being a fantastic actor, but he just didn't get why they cast someone who looked so different from video game Abby. “I get it from like a making TV standpoint, but like I’m also like, ‘Okay, but it’s just so different. And it’s not about good or bad; it just makes you wonder, said Staley. ‘Okay, I’m trying to understand what we’re trying to achieve here.’”
Abby in The Last of Us Part 2 is a bulky and muscled woman who towers over her opponents due to her size. Of course, Kaitlyn Dever being cast as Abby in The Last of Us season 2 quickly raised questions about whether the actress would be bulking up for the role. Neil Druckmann, creator of The Last of Us and showrunner of the series, previously revealed that the TV show’s version of Abby would not match the physical appearance of the character in the game, and would instead be closer to Dever’s natural size and weight, as sheer muscle strength wasn't needed outside the game when adapting a TV show, so the change made complete sense.
Now that we know that season 3 of The Last of Us is moving forward, and very likely season 4 too, it has been confirmed by the show's co-creators that Abby will be the main focus of its returning season. As of writing, there is no confirmation of when The Last of Us season 3 will begin filming, but it's likely not to commence until sometime in 2026, with a possible release date of 2027.
‘We Couldn’t Do That in the Show’: The Last of Us’ Neil Druckmann Explains Significant Change to Abby’s Story in Season 2
The Last of Us creators explain one big Abby story change before the show's Season 2 premiere.
- Release Date
- January 15, 2023
- Network
- HBO
- Showrunner
- Craig Mazin
Cast
-
Pedro PascalJoel Miller -
Bella RamseyEllie Williams
WHERE TO WATCH
- Directors
- Craig Mazin, Peter Hoar, Jeremy Webb, Ali Abbasi, Mark Mylod, Stephen Williams, Jasmila Žbanić, Liza Johnson, Nina Lopez-Corrado
- Writers
- Neil Druckmann, Craig Mazin, Halley Wegryn Gross
- Franchise(s)
- The Last of Us
- Creator(s)
- Neil Druckmann, Craig Mazin
