Can Craig Mazin Handle The Last of Us Season 3 Alone After Neil Druckmann's Exit?
In a surprising development (via Variety), Neil Druckmann, the co-creator of the widely acclaimed series The Last of Us, has decided to step away from the show in terms of his creative involvement. Instead, he will focus on Naughty Dog’s upcoming games. However, he will continue to be credited as an executive producer on the series. For the unversed, Neil Druckmann was also the co-developer of the original, immensely popular video game franchise. Later, he joined forces with Craig Mazin to adapt the post-apocalyptic tale for the small screen. Now, the big question is: Can Craig Mazin handle The Last of Us Season 3 without Neil Druckmann’s creative input? Here’s our take.
If we look back at Craig Mazin’s early filmography, he began his filmmaking career as a writer with the sci-fi comedy film RocketMan (1997). It was followed by several parody and comedy films like Scary Movie 3 (2003), Superhero Movie (2008), which he also directed, The Hangover Part II (2011), and The Hangover Part III (2013), among other movies.
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Until now, he may not seem like the most obvious choice to carry forward the legacy of The Last of Us series alone. But everything changed in 2019 with one series – Chernobyl. Created and written by Craig Mazin, the historical drama miniseries was based on the 1986 nuclear disaster and is considered among the finest shows in the history of television. It won two Primetime Emmy Awards in the Best Limited Series and Best Writing for a Limited Series categories.
After Chernobyl, Craig Mazin went on to co-create the first two seasons of The Last of Us series and did a wonderful job adapting the video game for the small screen. Clearly, he has a fine understanding of emotionally layered storytelling, dark and complex characters, and terrific world-building. That said, Neil Druckmann’s lack of creative input might change the tone and feel of the show a bit. But if Mazin stays true to the elements that made the series so powerful, The Last of Us S3 might turn out to be just as good as its predecessors. Or who knows, even better with a bold, new direction.
Set against the backdrop of a world overrun by zombie-like creatures after a widespread fungal infection, The Last of Us Season 1 revolves around the story of the show’s two main characters, Joel (played by Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (played by Bella Ramsey), and how they travel across America while fighting many dangers. Season 2 is set five years after the events shown in the first season, where they live with Joel’s brother in Jackson, Wyoming.
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