HBO’s The Last of Us writer Neil Druckmann has revealed that after the release of the first The Last of Us game, there was talk of making a spin-off featuring Ellie’s mom, Anna.
In a recent conference call with press, Druckmann and showrunner Craig Mazin discussed Episode 9, and the return of original The Last of Us actor Ashley Johnson, who played Ellie in the games. In the series finale, Johnson plays the role of Ellie’s mom Anna in flashbacks, who is pregnant with Ellie at the time.
Druckmann revealed that after Naughty Dog wrapped the first game, there was an idea for an animated short featuring Anna, and he even wrote a “short” script about how she gave birth and was bitten at the same time, but wasn’t certain if Ellie became infected too. “It just became a little character drama that felt like it spoke to the same themes of parental love for their child and how much you’re willing to do even when you’re on death’s door,” Druckmann said.