The Last of Us movie is at a “standstill” according to Sam Raimi

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

It's always sad when a child gets left behind. While everyone else goes outside and plays on the monkey bars, this one stays inside drawing strange pictures while discovering The Cure. This image can be applied analogously to the UNCHARTED and THE LAST OF US movies (both based on games from Naughty Dog), two projects that seemed destined to live in development hell. But now, as the UNCHARTED movie moves along smoothly into the light of day, LAST OF US is receding deeper and deeper into the shadows.

Earlier this year we got some disheartening news regarding THE LAST OF US from the game’s creative director (and movie’s writer), Neil Druckmann, who elaborated on the state of the movie, and not all seemed well in the kingdom as it hadn’t been worked on in “over a year and a half.” Apparently things have not improved.

IGN caught up with the movie’s producer, Sam Raimi, at a press event for the video release of DON’T BREATHE (which Raimi also produced) and asked him about any updates, and if he was in fact still attached to the project:

“Yes, I'm attached to it. I'm not too sure what that means. Right now it's just sitting there. They don't want to move forward, and it's not my place to say why, and Neil, I think, is in a slight disagreement with them about how things should go so there's a standstill. And I don't have the power to move it."

As per usual in circumstances like these a reason for a movie’s stalling has to do with issues between those making the movie and the studio, which in this case is Sony, and as of right now it seems Druckmann and said studio are not on the same page:

“With this one he went to Sony — who I have a very good relationship with — but they have their own plans for it and I think Neil's plan for it — I'm not trying to be political — Neil's plan for it is not the same as Sony's.”

Raimi went on to talk about that seeing as Sony has the rights to the movie there really isn’t much he can do to help Druckmann to get the movie moving forward. Basically Druckmann and Sony are going to have to work things out together if things are to progress. So…yeah.

This is sad news for anyone hoping to see this movie anytime soon, and whose faith was rekindled once news the UNCHARTED movie had gotten going again. But we can’t have everything in this world. Druckmann himself said some time ago that there were going to be “big changes” to the movie compared to the game, which could be a reason why he and studio are in this position. Maybe Sony wants a more direct adaptation, or perhaps even bigger chances. Who knows? I don't. The world doesn't make sense. I also have recently discovered The Cure.

The Sam Raimi-produced DON'T BREATHE is set for video release on November 29.