The Last of Us composer reveals “terrible mistake” season 2 avoided

In a recent reveal, Gustavo Santaolalla, the composer for The Last of Us, discussed an unfortunate error that was fortunately omitted during the production of the show.

Based on the widely recognized video game franchise, “The Last of Us” narrates the journey of main characters Joel (played by Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (portrayed by Bella Ramsey), who traverse a devastated America in a post-apocalyptic setting.

The highly lauded HBO series garnered significant recognition, with critics commending its writing, production, acting, and notably, its unwavering adherence to the original storyline. This accolade can be attributed in part to the presence of Neil Druckmann, the game’s director, and Halley Gross, the writer, who collaborated on the show with Craig Mazin.

Simultaneously, Santaolalla, responsible for the game’s and its sequel’s music, including The Last of Us Part II, has also collaborated with composer David Fleming in creating the show’s score for the television series.

During an interview with ScreenRant, he explained how the music played a crucial role in smoothly transforming the narrative from a video game to television.

According to Santaolalla, maintaining the primary ideas and musical texture of the series was crucial in seamlessly moving from one aspect to another. He believes it would have been a significant error to alter that.

“The fact that we kept [the music] was a very good decision.”

When asked about variations in his composition method between games and shows, Santaolalla explained that there is a difference similar to the Spanish terms ‘arte’ (art) and ‘artesania’ (craft).

As a gamer, I’m all about building immersive worlds and experiences, and that includes crafting the music and sound effects that weave together the audio tapestry. But it’s not just about creating beautiful themes and melodies; it’s also about figuring out how to make each sound fit perfectly within its intended space or corner of the game.

In regards to his contributions to “The Last of Us“, he shared this insight: “After that point, it’s mostly about refining and honing the details for the remainder of the project.

As a passionate music enthusiast, I’ve got some fresh tunes up my sleeve, yet in an oddly related sense, these new compositions could be seen as the musical kin to what I’ve previously crafted.

In the United Kingdom, you can catch season 2 of “The Last of Us” on Sky Atlantic and streaming platform NOW. Meanwhile, in the US, it’s aired on HBO.

Read more The Last of Us news on our dedicated homepage

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2025-05-31 23:19