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A cluster of animation stills and storyboards from the cancelled animated The Last of Us movie have popped up online, and it would have acted as a bridge between the first and second games (via PlayStation LifeStyle).
At some point, Sony approached animation studio Oddfellows to create an animated short for The Last of Us. It was ill-fated, and has since been scrapped, and we’re not sure why. However, we’ve gotten our first and only look at the project from a collection of stills and a short clip that have appeared online. They were shown on Oddfellows’ official site, and they were snapped up and uploaded to Imgur before someone swiftly took them down. The site said that the movie would have served as a 20-minute retelling of the first game, with Joel and Ellie narrating the story. Oddfellows’ intention was to “reinterpret each of the chapters of the game with a unique visual treatment.”
Joel and Ellie’s narration would “bridge the styles and travel seamlessly between the past and present” as the two characters mused over objects from their past journey together “somewhere between Jackson County and their next adventure.” It’s a shame Sony cancelled it. What remains of the short is stunning and it is an interesting lens with which to view the gritty realism of The Last of Us. It would have also introduced interested players to the story before the second game launched, and would have been a visual treat for longtime fans.
We don’t know whether Sony instead gave the project to another team or began to produce it with an in-house group of artists, or whether it chose to get rid altogether. The flair of the The Last of Us animated movie is certainly inspiring, and it is hoped that new horror media takes risks with its art direction. It pays off!
The Last of Us Part II comes to PlayStation 4 on 29 May.
