Co-creator Craig Mazin has revealed that in the series of The Last of Us the contagion will take place differently than in the 2013 video game of the same name. Mazin explained that, in the adaptation process, some story elements had to be changed for the new medium. Mazin, together with the original creator of the game, Neil Druckmann, has therefore decided to completely remove an important source of the spread of the devastating plague that is afflicting the harsh world of The Last of Us.
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The Last of Us: how will the contagion happen in the TV series?
Here are Mazin’s statements:
Obviously, there are some great things that we know we need to keep, but then there are challenges from the game to the series that needed to be addressed. For example, little things like the spores. In the game, there are zones where you meet spores and you have to put on a gas mask. In the world we’re creating, if we put spores in the air it would be pretty clear that they would spread everywhere, e everyone should wear a mask at all times and, probably, everyone would be fully infected by then. So, we challenged each other to come up with a cool new way to spread the mushroom, but mostly I think we just connected with the soul and spirit of the game. Druckmann, as the creator of the game, and I, as a fan of the game, have taken care of all the fans, but also of all the people who have not played the game and who need a television experience that is global and connected to itself, and which does not give the impression that it is necessary to play a game in order to understand it.
The fungus that causes the zombie outbreak in the original game The Last of Us is inspired by real Cordyceps mushrooms. Within the video game, the infection is caused by a mutation in the fungus that affects the brain. The infection can be transmitted through the bite of a live infected individual or by spores generated by a deceased infected person.
The removal of the spores and the external threat of an airborne fungal infection can reduce the danger of the Cordyceps virus in the television series, which, therefore, eliminate that source of tension and suspense.
However, as Mazin explained, if the spores were airborne, avoiding infection would be nearly impossible, which would have a very negative impact on suspension of disbelief.
