The Last of Us’ Kaitlyn Dever Recalls How She Nearly Played Ellie in Failed Movie

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Prior to securing the part of Abby in HBO’s The Last of Us Season 2, Kaitlyn Dever was almost cast as Ellie in the movie version based on the video game.

How did Kaitlyn Dever nearly play Ellie in The Last of Us movie?

Back in 2013, Screen Gems acquired the rights to distribute a live-action movie adaptation of The Last of Us video game. One of the game’s co-creator, Neil Druckmann, agreed to write the screenplay for this film, with Sam Raimi slated as the director.

Among the potential actresses for the role of Ellie, Dever was one of them. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Dever reminisced about meeting Druckmann to discuss her character. Additionally, during this conversation, Dever got insights into the creation process of The Last of Us Part II, a game that wouldn’t be released until 2020.

As a devoted admirer, I had the incredible opportunity to rub shoulders with Neil himself, right at Naughty Dog. He graciously guided me through their creative process, giving me an exclusive behind-the-scenes peek into how they crafted the game. Incredibly, they were already engrossed in the making of the second installment during my visit.

Despite Dever being unaware of Abby, Druckmann shared a significant secret with her which was destined to be unveiled in the sequel.

In simpler terms, Dever shared that she initially saw the early sketches of an older Ellie and was also informed about the events. Regarding spoiler warnings, he inquired if I wanted to know what happens, to which I agreed. Consequently, I’ve kept this secret for quite some time.

As a passionate admirer looking back, it’s unfortunate that the Screen Gems project I was eagerly anticipating never materialized. Yet, fortunately, things worked out for Emily Dever, who ultimately collaborated with Druckmann in 2016 on Uncharted 4, where she brought Cassie Drake, Nathan Drake’s daughter, to life on screen.

Later on, Druckmann and Craig Mazin transformed The Last of Us into an HBO series. For the second season, Mazin proposed that Dever take on the role of Abby.

Dever mentioned that he had already watched season 1 and became utterly captivated by it. Moreover, he shared that the creators asked him to portray Abby, an offer that left him absolutely amazed.

Dever can be seen in The Last of Us Season 2, which premieres April 13 on HBO and Max.

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2025-04-02 18:40