The Last of Us was almost an animated series before HBO’s adaptation

Eleni Thomas
The Last of Us animated

The Last of Us was reportedly almost turned into an animated series that would have included motion-capture performances before HBO decided to instead adapt the beloved video game into a live-action TV show.

HBO’s live-action adaption of the beloved video game The Last of Us has been a massive hit for the streaming service, the first season of the show even surpassing House of the Dragon’s viewership numbers. 

And while adaption of the game for live-action seemed like an obvious choice given how already cinematic the experience was for gamers, there was a time in which the content was being considered as an animated series. 

Jeffrey Pierce, who voices Tommy in The Last of Us game and played a supporting character in the show, recently revealed during an interview with The Direct that, before being developed as a live-action series, The Last of Us almost went down a very different route. Admitting that a mo-cap and CGI animated series of The Last of Us was workshopped as an idea.

“There have been a couple of different iterations over time. There was a movie at one point. There was a motion-capture cinematic animated series at one point.”

The Last of Us has been a massive success in live-action

The Last of Us animated
The Last of Us season 1 has been a massive hit with fans.

Given how successful the live-action adaptation has been, it’s interesting to imagine a world in which it was instead created as an animated series or a film. And while this animated series may have been another great way to adapt the story of The Last of Us, the live-action transition has set a new precedent for video game adaptions, especially games that focus on a more cinematic experience and are narrative-driven.

However, one thing we do know is that the TV series is here to stay, with season 2 of the HBO show confirmed to be in the works.

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About The Author

Eleni is a Melbourne-based journalist. Having completed her Bachelor's in communication (Journalism) at RMIT University, Eleni is now a senior writer for the Dexerto Australia team. A big Nintendo fan (with a Triforce tattoo to prove it) and a lover of the zombie genre, Eleni covers gaming, entertainment as well as TV and movies for the site. She is also passionate about covering Queer and female representation. Contact Eleni at eleni.thomas@dexerto.com