Sony subsidiary Screen Gems will apparently be releasing a film adaptation of PlayStation 3 game The Last of Us! The 3rd person stealth shooter was released to critical acclaim last year, praised for its character development, bleak world, and emotional storytelling. The story is set in the atmosphere of a fungal plague that takes over host bodies and turns them into zombified beings.
One of the main protagonists, grizzled survivor Joel meets and teams up with the teenage Ellie as they make their way across a post-apocalyptic America. The game, like the Uncharted series by the same developer, is extremely cinematic and would (in the right hands) make for an amazing feature film.
Game creative director Neil Druckmann will reportedly be writing the script, with participation from other members of studio Naughty Dog. Sam Raimi’s Ghost House Pictures production company, which worked on the 2013 remake of Evil Dead, will collaborate with them to make the film.
“When I saw the quality of the storytelling, I knew the audience for this project was far greater than just the gaming community and that Neil Druckmann must write the screenplay,” said Screen Gems president Clint Culpepper.
The move was rumored last year, when Sony filed trademarks related to the film. Now that the news is finally out everyone that has enjoyed the game can only hope and keep their fingers crossed that the film will live up to the awe-inspiring game.
source: the verge