The Last Of Us Crew Wasn't Allowed To Say A Certain Word On Set

gamerant.com:

HBO's The Last of Us is the series that has everyone intrigued these days. While many viewers who haven’t played the games may have tuned in thinking it is another post-apocalyptic zombie show, the showrunners don’t want that approach. From the get-go, The Last of Us has been a character-driven story, and the crew wasn’t even allowed to use the word 'zombie' while filming on set.

At the core of The Last of Us, the series and games, are the human connections and interactions, but it isn’t easy to ignore the matter of thousands of Infected constantly lurking around. Most post-apocalyptic projects refer to them as zombies. However, The Last of Us has always gone the extra mile to explain the Cordyceps infection and how it spreads, making the Infected a different breed altogether. Keeping this in mind, the showrunners made it a point to educate their crew members.

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To ensure that the crew was clear on the concept, they “weren’t allowed to say the Z word on set,” Cinematographer Eben Bolter revealed during an interview with the Motion Picture Association. “It was like a banned word. They were the Infected,” he further reiterated. The crew knew The Last of Us wasn’t just a “zombie show.” Even though horror is one of The Last of Us' major themes, with several “jump scares” in the episodes, The Last of Us sets itself apart from the traditional post-apocalyptic content.

The plot, which mostly adapts The Last of Us game, focuses on the characters and their development. Joel and Ellie are the protagonists, but Tess, Bill, Frank, Henry, Sam, and Kathleen have all played a crucial role in progressing the story thus far. “The Infected are an obstacle they have to deal with,”