The Last of Us Casting Process Was More Stressful Than a Zombie Apocalypse
Craig Mazin, the showrunner of the highly anticipated The Last of Us TV series, recently revealed that the process of casting Ellie, one of the main characters, was quite difficult.
The team apparently saw over a hundred candidates before finally settling on Bella Ramsey of Game of Thrones fame. Mazin stated that the main challenge was finding an actress who could portray both the playful and tough sides of Ellie's personality, as well as someone who could hold their own on screen.
It was also important for the actress to have chemistry with Joel, the other main character. Despite his initial concerns, Mazin seems to be very pleased with Ramsey's performance, calling her "a wonderful actress."
Fans of the The Last of Us video game, which the TV series is based on, seem to be divided in their reactions (like any other game fandom before them, essentially).
While some are excited about the adaptation and approve of the casting choices, with some even calling Ramsey the perfect Ellie, others are more skeptical. Some pessimistic fans have expressed their doubts about the series, citing the many failed video game adaptations that have come before it. It's no secret that adaptations of video games often end up being a disaster, with poorly written scripts, wooden acting, and, what's the most painful for OG fans, a lack of faithfulness to the source material (and yes, we are looking at you, The Witcher).
Some speculate that this is because studios and producers simply don't understand the appeal of the original games, and therefore can't translate that appeal onto the screen. These fans are worried that The Last of Us will suffer the same fate, despite the talent involved in its production. It remains to be seen if the series will be able to break the trend and deliver a faithful and enjoyable adaptation of the beloved game, but as of right now there are at least lots of posts in defense of Bella's casting.
"This girl is a ray of sunshine in real life. She has clear chemistry with Pedro Pascal ( which was a MUST), a wicked sense of humour just like Ellie. She played one of the most badass children in TV history on Game of Thrones. Ashley herself, Troy, the creators all love her and have all said she puts in an amazing performance and yet. The show hasn't even aired yet and already she's getting battered by the fan base," as one of the fans put it on Reddit.