The Last of Us Creator Neil Druckmann Admits Taking Inspiration From a Tom Hanks’ Movie for Depicting Relationship Between Joel and Ellie

Naughty Dog’s Magnum opus gaming series, the Last of Us, has been translated into a television series for the streaming service, HBO Max. While the television adaptation is very near to the original, it has taken some creative liberty on its own. Although at first these changes were seen in a very skeptical light by the fans, eventually they understood, the deviations were only there to enhance the story. 

However, the thing that is untouched even in the adaption is the relationship dynamic between Joel and Ellie. The show exactly mirrors the dual protagonists’ journey and their growth while on their horrifying journey in a terrifying world where hope is bleaker than food and shelter.

In the post-episode podcast, the original co-writer and director of the Last of Us game, Neil Druckmann, shared that while writing the game’s story, he took inspiration from one of his favorite Tom Hanks movies. The dynamic between Hanks’ character with his son helped Neil flesh out the relationship between Joel and Ellie.

Tom Hanks’ movie helped shape the Last of Us

In the YouTube podcast, hosted by Troy Baker, Neil Druckmann shared that initially he was inspired by one of his favorite movies called the ‘Road to Perdition.’ It starred Tom Hanks, Daniel Craig, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and more. The movie was based on a comic with the same name. 

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The story of the Road to Perdition was very similar to TLOU. It portrays a father’s (Tom Hanks) journey with his son to reach a safer place. While there is no undead infected in there, the world of Road to Perdition is no less harsh than the Last of Us. In that story, instead of protecting his son from violence, Tom Hanks teaches his son how to use violence to stay safe.

“I think as a dad in that world if I am really trying to protect my kid, I am not gonna protect them from violence. I am gonna teach them how to use violence as a tool so they will be safe.” shared Neil. In the new episode, Joel could be seen teaching Ellie how to shoot a gun and hunt, foreshadowing what is about to come next. It is all “Peace before the storm”.

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