As HBO prepares for season two of its hit adaptation (with at least two more coming afterwards), The Last of Us, which faithfully echoes the PlayStation exclusive franchise, fans are waiting for casting news to drop. Unfortunately, thanks to the ongoing Writers Guild of America (WGA) and SAG-AFTRA strikes, major Hollywood productions are frozen in their tasks and we’re not getting casting reveals until production companies and the aggrieved parties can resolve the issues.
Despite this disappointing bit of information, Craig Mazin, co-showrunner of The Last of Us, seems to have a secret, one that fans of the series are desperate to uncover. For season two, HBO is poised to delve into The Last of Us Part II, which is a 2020 sequel to the original game. Here, we encounter Abby, a character destined to become pivotal to the unfolding narrative.
In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, when quizzed about Abby’s casting, Mazin playfully teased all of us, saying, “Maybe.” The strike, he admits, stopped them right when things were in motion. “Look, Abby was the first role we wanted to tackle,” he noted, shedding light on the character’s impending importance in the TV adaptation.
Mazin and Neil Druckmann, the brains behind the video game adaptation, are used to challenging audiences and their expectations. In the gaming world, Abby’s character was met with a divided reception: some welcomed the perspective she brought, while others mourned the shift away from beloved characters Joel and Ellie. This dichotomy reflects the game’s deep exploration of heroes and villains, of love and revenge.
But, the question remains, who will share in the burden faced by Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey in giving justice to the iconic if controversial female gaming icon?
Some online detectives point to Shannon Berry, known for her roles in Hunters, Offspring, and The Wilds, as a potential Abby. Berry’s alleged social media interactions with Druckmann lend further fuel to these speculations. Yet, some fans champion Emma D’Arcy, from House of the Dragon, as the frontrunner. As Mazin remarks on the show’s track record for casting, we realize they’ve often been met with initial skepticism. But with 24 Emmy nominations under their belt, the team has more than proven their knack for understanding the material and its audience.
At this point, the only person that probably is safe from being cast as Abby is Laura Bailey, who was the motion capture actress for the character in The Last of Us Part 2.
Of course, given how many voice and motion capture actors from the original game appeared in Season 1 of The Last of Us, we shouldn’t expect future seasons to buck the welcome trend.
Ultimately, you can’t blame Mazin and Druckmann for taking their time casting Abby. Hiring the right individual doesn’t just mean securing the ideal talent; it’s about confronting societal standards and the challenges faced by the live-action adaptation. Abby, in the game, has been a significant point of contention. Her narrative, deeply intertwined with Ellie’s, underlines the devastating consequences of vengeance. The anticipation surrounding her character mirrors the real-world cycle of expectation and fulfillment that Hollywood constantly grapples with.
The Last of Us, both in its gaming and TV adaptations, thrives on presenting complicated characters shaped by a violent world. Joel’s tragic demise at Abby’s hands, a response to him murdering her father, underscores the vicious cycle of retribution central to the narrative. These decisions, while controversial, have been unapologetically embraced by Druckmann, pushing players and viewers to face the harsh realities of their beloved characters’ actions.
Despite the mounting anticipation, production challenges, and an industry strike, it’s clear that Abby’s portrayal will be pivotal in shaping season two and perhaps subsequent seasons of The Last of Us. Fans will have to wait a bit longer for the final word on Abby’s casting, but if the series’ trajectory is any indication, it will be well worth the wait. In the end, as with all great adaptations, it’s not about merely replicating the source material but reimagining it in ways that resonate with a new medium and audience.
