Regarding his departure from “The Last of Us,” his new game “Intergalactic,” and his level of involvement in season three, Neil Druckmann says, “My Job Is to Stay Very High Level” (EXCLUSIVE)

Neil Druckmann, the co-showrunner of “The Last of Us” on HBO, didn’t quit the show suddenly. In adapting his critically acclaimed and popular video game franchise for television, the head of PlayStation’s Naughty Dog video game studio left because he had achieved the “crazy goal” he had set out to achieve.

“We had a lot of goals for the show, some of which were self-serving. I wanted to elevate ‘The Last of Us’ beyond the people that have played the game,” he told Variety in an interview this week ahead of Sunday’s Emmy Awards. “I thought there might be a wider audience for that story among those who will never play video games. I wanted to make Naughty Dog better, and since PlayStation has been my home for 21 years, it has supported me throughout the process of telling these amazing stories. I also wanted to make video games better. I wanted someone to watch this show without realizing it was based on a video game and then say, “Wait, that’s based on a video game?” That was such an absurd goal.

After “The Last of Us” concluded its second season and was renewed for a third, Druckmann announced in July that he was leaving his position as co-showrunner. The average viewership for the second season was higher than that of Season 1, and the finale attracted 30.7 million viewers. At the Emmys this Sunday, it is nominated for best actor for Pedro Pascal, best actress for Bella Ramsey, and outstanding drama series.

“We have this data: After watching the show, some people ended up purchasing a PlayStation or a PC and playing ‘The Last of Us,’ and that has become their gateway to this medium that I adore,” he said. “But it was really hard work, and I was really there in the weeds to get Season 1 off the ground, and then it was important to get [Season 2 and the storyline for] game 2 off the ground as well, because I love that story so much. But now it seemed to me that the way was already set. It was time to return to the primary source of all of this, which is working on video games full-time. However, more will be announced soon, and other things are on the horizon. “”.

Druckmann had no intention of leaving Craig Mazin as the series’ only showrunner in order to return to his full-time position as chief at one of PlayStation’s most prestigious studios, where he is now working on the company’s upcoming blockbuster game, “Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.”. “.”.

“Naughty Dog is greater than any one individual. During my time working on Naughty Dog, a number of notable individuals stepped up, including studio manager Alison Mori, game director Kurt Margenau, writer Claire Carré, and game director Matthew Gallant. They genuinely let me help set up this show and do this other thing for a while. ”.

In an interview with Variety, Druckmann talked about leaving “The Last of Us” and hinted at Naughty Dog’s upcoming game, “Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.”. “”.

How are you feeling about Sunday’s Emmys?

Every year, the awards season is fascinating. I’m simply thrilled to see a number of people I haven’t seen in a long time, including Pedro, Bella, and various department heads. I’m just trying to have this moment where we celebrate this accomplishment, the hard work that everyone put into it, and another chapter in the book “The Last of Us” that I’m living.

What is the difference between the game and television award scenes?

Oh, there’s just different vibes. I suppose games are more my style because they are more subdued and a little nerdier. There, I’m more at ease. However, I take pleasure in the spectacle, the chaos, and watching everyone get all of their costumes. I may bring one of my parents to the Emmys, as I recently took them to the Humanitas Awards, which was a lot of fun.

What were the episodes you most wanted to highlight from “The Last of Us” Season 2 and what did you decide to submit for the Emmys?

Within Warner Bros., there is an entire awards division. and HBO to think about it, which is also very different from games. While Naughty Dog may occasionally confer with PlayStation, we simply attempt to post content that we believe is appropriate. However, Hollywood is extremely competitive when it comes to awards and other things, so I let the professionals handle that.

We created a season that we were really proud of. The episodes that stood out, in my opinion, were 202 and 206. They were submitted to a number of different categories, but it was still good to see Pedro and Bella, of course, receiving nominations. I particularly liked Kaitlyn and Joey “Pants” [Pantoliano], with whom I collaborated extensively in Episode 206, “The Price.”. It was somewhat of a surprise to me because I wasn’t entirely sure, but I truly liked what he brought to the role. You are better able to picture it with Joel and Ellie, and it is quite similar to what you have in mind. It was totally unexpected with Eugene, and I was somewhat astounded by his actions.

What was the exact moment you made the decision to leave and return to Naughty Dog full-time during the “The Last of Us” Season 2 process, if it was during publicity?

We had just started the writers’ room for Season 3 when it happened. I considered my future plans, what the upcoming season might entail, and the numerous “Last of Us” projects I’m working on, not just the show, the most significant of which is “Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet,” our next major IP for Naughty Dog and PlayStation. It seemed to me that I could better fulfill all of my duties if I remained at a higher level. Being a co-showrunner on Seasons 1 and 2 while managing a studio, working as a director, and writing a game was really difficult. The number of people who stepped up to work on Season 2 at Naughty Dog while I was away was greatly appreciated. In particular, I put a lot of work into writing, directing, and preparing Episode 206. I doubted I could accomplish that again. So, I thought it was a good idea to take stock of everything around the time we were wrapping up the press and getting ready to start Season 3 in earnest.

I don’t hold it against you. Another head of a video game studio who also serves as a co-showrunner on a series is unknown to me.

Perhaps I wouldn’t suggest it (laughs). I must admit that I thoroughly enjoyed it and learned a lot from it. Because I worked on the show and had the opportunity to work with amazing artists, I joked that I had attended the best film school. There’s a lot that I learned, even just as far as the craft of making cinematic storytelling. There are a lot of similarities between that and my work at Naughty Dog, so I felt like I learned a lot. After learning all of this, I believe that I could serve this show and similar adaptations more effectively in the future. However, my first duty and passion is video games, and I work at Naughty Dog.

Is there any way you will be involved in Season 3 of “The Last of Us”? Have you discussed or given Craig Mazin any advice regarding different storylines, particularly if there was any particular criticism of Season 2 that you all looked at to address or think of something you could do differently in Season 3?

Back when we were working on Season 2, we had begun discussing what needed to be changed because we knew we wouldn’t be able to finish it and that it would end on a cliffhanger. As I mentioned before, I have a very high level of responsibility now. I am attempting to simply shepherd it, even though I miss getting into the weeds, working on the effects shots, providing script notes, and really getting into the details. Making sure that Season 3 is as incredibly faithful as Season 1 is my goal for it and what I believe I can do best to help it. While taking in all these lovely extensions that organically occur with the rest of the team and how they’re working on Season 3, I firmly believe that this is the gold standard for this type of adaptation. Thus, I will continue to be involved at that extremely high level.

Thus, we move on to “Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.”. For all of you, that announcement from the Game Awards last December was huge. Naughty Dog has been working on it since 2020, according to you. Where are you in the process right now, and will we see or hear more about it at one of PlayStation’s next State of Play presentations?

I can tell you we’re in the thick of things, but what can I say and not say? We’re both creating and performing it. We’re working tirelessly. This is the most ambitious game we’ve ever created, and I mean it when I say it because I’m feeling it right now. By the time it’s finished, it may be the most costly game we’ve ever created and the most expansive. I haven’t worked with Troy [Baker] in five years, so I have to do it again. It was a lot of fun to be on stage with him once more.

When we do show things, I can’t wait to show them and discuss them because the trailer we showed barely scratches the surface of what this game is. But announcing a game like this requires coordination with marketing, public relations, and a number of other people, particularly when it’s a new IP and coming from Naughty Dog. Therefore, I would be foolish to predict when we will show something at this time.

You’ve stated on several occasions that “Intergalactic” offers “the deepest gameplay” in Naughty Dog’s history. Is there anything more you can do to elicit that?

I’m uncertain if I can. Looking at our past titles, you can see how we’ve changed from “Uncharted,” where we were really honing our skills in realistic character-action games, third-person shooters, and emotional storytelling. We began experimenting with wide linear layouts and added some RPG elements to “The Last of Us.”. Continue on that path, and when you add science fiction, you begin to understand what we’re doing. After that, we’ve gotten even more ambitious. I’m eager to see how everything works out. I believe it will surprise you all in a pleasant way.

When Tati Gabrielle was announced as the lead in “Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet,” I was ecstatic. What led to that casting?

We had been writing for a while already. Writing a science fiction game is extremely difficult, especially when compared to “Uncharted” or “The Last of Us,” which are very grounded despite “Uncharted’s” supernatural and infected elements. Due to the fact that we are leaping 2,000 years into a different future, we must not only create the universe and its laws, but also determine its history. We must also discover the legend of Sempiria, the planet that our hero Jordan finds himself on and must struggle to leave.

I therefore knew the character to some extent. Although the writing process for games differs slightly from that of television, we still spend a lot of time outlining and creating all these documents and backstories, but we try to keep writing scripts as long as possible because gameplay is the big unknown. In order to implement gameplay, which is frequently highly theoretical, you must first conduct experiments and prototypes to determine what works and what doesn’t. In some cases, the things that work or don’t work will determine the type of story you can tell. Therefore, you want to keep things high level and avoid becoming overly attached to a lot of details that you will eventually have to discard.

It was at that point that we began speaking with Tati. The reason for this was that we had recently cast her in Season 2 [of “The Last of Us”) and had a hunch she would be ideal for this part. I pitched her the story as it was at the time, and we sort of went over the beginning, middle, and end of it together, explaining her role. Then, when she arrived, she stopped by Naughty Dog. She agreed to try out when I asked her if she would. Troy Baker read against her when we had her on stage and I invited Troy to join her. Simply put, we were quite certain that was our Jordan A. Mun.

I’ve been writing with her ever since. She has had an equal impact on the writing and the characters’ arc as Ashley Johnson and Troy Baker did when I worked with them on “The Last of Us,” and I think she will be incredibly iconic, nuanced, and fascinating in the Naughty Dog tradition.

Are you considering adding any other Season 1 or Season 2 stars from “The Last of Us” to the “Intergalactic” cast?

Well, I worked with Tony Dalton on Episode 206, he played Joel’s dad, and immediately when I finished shooting we had this role for “Intergalactic. “Hey, man, I don’t know if you’ve done video games or performance capture before, but I think you’d be perfect for this,” I said in a direct message to him on Instagram. Please join me on a Zoom call so I can show you something. We got on a Zoom call, and I discussed the game with him while showing him some of its features. He says, “Yeah, I’m on board.”. I would be thrilled to do it. Tony Dalton is present, and there may be a few more.

Naturally, there have been adaptations of “Uncharted” and “The Last of Us.”. Are you currently negotiating a TV or movie adaptation of “Intergalactic”? This would be the first time you’ve had the opportunity to try and plan both the game and the adaptation from the start.

There are still discussions about various expansions or adaptations for “Uncharted,” “The Last of Us,” and now “Intergalactic.”. In “The Last of Us,” we created a graphic novel. We also worked on a movie for a while, but it didn’t work out, so it was turned into a television series. Additionally, there are more unannounced events taking place in the world of “The Last of Us.”. However, we’ve already had studios approach us about “Intergalactic”; they don’t know much about the game other than the trailer.

We should avoid putting the cart before the horse, I want to make sure. Before anything else, this video game must be amazing. If it is, and we have the right partnership, those opportunities would be fantastic. However, it is not the reason for our actions. There are many possibilities for “Intergalactic,” and since that’s the way the story is set up in that universe, it’s easier to expand on that in some ways. We are currently focused on making “Intergalactic” the next big, amazing Naughty Dog game, but there are some fascinating discussions going on about possible projects that might be developed in the future.

The new franchise “Intergalactic” was revealed. So, after “Heretic Profit,” will Naughty Dog concentrate on more “Intergalactic” games, or is there a chance they’ll work on “The Last of Us 3” or a brand-new “Uncharted” game next?

We don’t usually make a lot of plans for the future because we figure that when we’re really excited and passionate about something, we perform at our best. This is something I inherited; it’s just part of the Naughty Dog culture. For instance, we were discussing whether or not to jump right into “The Last of Us 3” after finishing “The Last of Us Part II,” which was a huge success for us. We spent a considerable amount of time considering potential game ideas. We looked at two IPs: “Uncharted” and “Jak and Daxter.”. However, the team was quite eager to work on this science fiction project that we have been discussing for some time, and since that is our area of passion, that is where we are going. You will definitely see “Intergalactic” again if it is a success. I leave that option open and cannot say if that will be our next game immediately following that. Not to be coy for this particular question, we want to see how we feel once we’re done with it and look at the options in front of us, because we have some other ideas that we’d like to explore as well.

Is there a plan in place for Naughty Dog if you take a temporary break from the day-to-day operations at the studio? Would you again take on a lead creative role on one of the upcoming TV or movie adaptations of Naughty Dog projects?

I’ve always had trouble concentrating on just one thing. That’s simply how my brain works. I therefore constantly juggle several things. This is why I find it motivating and inspiring to switch between things. That wasn’t enough in my early days when I was the writer and designer for the video game “Uncharted.”. After that, I would write graphic novels when I got home. In addition to the graphic novel that was published, I also wrote another one that was rejected and eventually turned into “The Last of Us.”. “.”.

My hope is that the show will conclude this version of the story in a way that is incredibly faithful to how it began. But that’s not the end of “The Last of Us” for Naughty Dog. That doesn’t necessarily mean it will take place outside or indoors; we are in discussions about doing a variety of things. Likewise, “Intergalactic” will undoubtedly offer a chance. I will therefore undoubtedly take on multiple roles, just as I have in the past. But as long as they allow me to continue, creating games at Naughty Dog will be my primary duty for the foreseeable future.

The interview has been shortened and edited.