Kaitlyn Dever Almost Starred as Ellie in The Last of Us Movie

by

The HBO series “The Last of Us” was superbly adapted from Naughty Dog’s video game franchise of the same name, but its journey could have been very different as a feature film adaptation was in development as early as 2013. Kaitlyn Dever, who is set to appear in Season 2 of the HBO series as Abby, a key character moving forward in the franchise, has shared some intriguing insights about the abandoned film project, including her surprising proposed role. When “The Last of Us” premiered in 2023, it effectively ended the notorious video game adaptation curse. However, if the movie had been released a decade earlier, we might never have known if it could have met the same high standards.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Kaitlyn Dever talked about her intricate part in Season 2 of “The Last of Us,” along with her lengthy association with the series. A whole decade before she was chosen to play Abby on HBO’s production, Dever shared that she was originally meant to star in the scrapped movie version, taking on the character of Ellie (portrayed by Bella Ramsey in the show). Her ties with the project extended far beyond a few auditions, as the actress had multiple discussions with “The Last of Us” creator and co-showrunner, Neil Druckmann, at Naughty Dog Studios. She reminisced:

Neil and I had a chance to interact at Naughty Dog studios, where he took me on a tour and demonstrated their creative process for developing the game. Incidentally, they were in the midst of creating the sequel while I was there.

In 2013, Screen Gems acquired the movie rights for “The Last of Us.” They were in the process of creating a live-action version of the game, with Druckmann involved in the scriptwriting. Although video game adaptations were generally considered risky at that time, this project had the renowned horror director Sam Raimi set to direct the film. Looking back, fans are glad that the movie never progressed beyond its early stages, given how well HBO’s adaptation turned out.

Who Is Abby in ‘The Last of Us’?

During her visit to Naughty Dog Studios, Kaitlyn Dever was given a sneak peek at some footage from “The Last of Us Part II” video game, which will serve as the basis for Season 2 of HBO’s series. “I got to see the initial sketches of an older Ellie, and he explained the storyline to me,” she shared. It seems like destiny when Dever was later chosen to portray Abby in Season 2, set to air on HBO and Max on April 13. However, the enigmatic character she’ll be playing remains a mystery.

In “The Last of Us Part II,” Abby initially appears as the primary adversary, fueled by a prolonged grudge against Joel and Ellie. However, the game unexpectedly flips this dynamic, with players controlling Abby for half of the game during her quest for vengeance. This creates an ambiguity in defining Abby’s role, making it difficult to distinguish between antagonist and protagonist. HBO’s adaptation has already modified certain aspects of Abby’s character, such as her muscular build. Given how skillfully Season 1 captured the complexity and richness of the game’s narrative, viewers are anticipating that the portrayal of Abby’s complex personality will be handled accurately in Season 2.

Read More

2025-04-02 22:04