The Last of Us showrunner Craig Mazin has addressed those criticising Bella Ramsey for not looking older as Ellie in the show’s upcoming second season.
Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Mazin said he understands “the difficulty that some people have where they say, ‘She looked like she was 14 in season one. She still looks roughly the same to us, even though now she’s 19’.”
Mazin added he appreciates Ellie in The Last of Us Part 2 does look “much older” than she did in the first game. However, when it comes to the show, he isn’t “interested in the physical aspect” of Ellie’s appearance.
“Some people do change quite dramatically and some people don’t,” Mazin said. “I’ve been looking at Bella’s face for years while editing, and I can see that she’s certainly grown. I’m interested in the emotional maturity, and the change in personality.”
The Last of Us showrunner added he has “watched Bella grow and become independent and start to find her own two feet separate and apart from her parents”, stating it’s also about “how do I figure out how to be my own person now and test that full independence?”
This is something he “[feels in] Ellie completely” when it comes to Ramsey’s portrayal of the character.
“So, I understand where people are coming from, but when they watch this year, I think they’re going to see the difference,” Mazin closed.
The second season of The Last of Us is set to debut next month, and will comprise seven episodes. It will not cover the entirety of The Last of Us Part 2, with subsequent episodes expected to wrap up the narrative.
Earlier this week, Naughty Dog’s Neil Druckmann weighed in on the ‘Was Joel right’ debate, following the end of the first game (and first series).