Reprise or Recast — On Bella Ramsay and The Last of Us: Part 2
Bella Ramsay nails their role in The Last of Us’s HBO TV adaptation, but can they do Part 2?
I am most certainly not the only person who was floored by Bella Ramsay’s (referred to here with they/them pronouns) performance as Ellie in HBO’s adaptation of The Last of Us. While some people prefer Ashley Johnson’s portrayal in the game, I (and likely many others) find myself more drawn to her TV casting, and the way that Ramsay portrayed and added new life to the character.
However, many critics, writers, and fans find themselves worried about the renewal for a second season, which will cover the game’s sequel, The Last of Us: Part 2. In the game, Ellie goes from 15 to 19, and while motion capture for Ashley Johnson allowed for the physical alterations to make her movements that of a child, altering the physique of Bella Ramsay to make them appear older is impossible, or unethical.
Some writers have argued though that in Part 2, Ellie is 19, and by the time filming begins, Ramsay will actually be older than their character. While this is a valid point, it should be noted that it will take some effort in either visual or practical effects to have Ramsay take on a new or different appearance to make their portrayal have the visual difference in age, especially with a multitude of flashbacks in the second game.
Hollywood is not new to actors going on diets and exercise regiments for their castings, but in an ideal world, actors should not have to perform absurd feats of body-contouring to fill a role that could have been filled by someone already fitting the desired body type. Additionally, given that filming occurs in Alberta, Canada, HBO and Naughty Dog will be restricted to canadian labour laws in what they expect their cast to do for the roles.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I would like for Bella Ramsay to reprise their role. I think they do a fantastic job, and I’ve come to prefer their portrayal over Ashley Johnson’s original. However, I also understand the limitations of both Hollywood and the human body, and I would rather not see another actor expected to perform borderline impossible feats for a single role.
It’s a dilemma, and one I’m sure HBO and Naughty Dog will have to face, but I have my own theory as to what it is they will choose to do.
I personally believe they will go the route of reprisal and practical effects. While I’ve explained here that it would be difficult to make Ramsay appear older with the significance of the game, I believe that it is more likely they will take a more subdued approach to Ellie’s growing up, utilising makeup techniques and prosthesis to show a slight but notable difference. Additionally, it will allow them to keep Ramsay on cast and avoid casting managers having to find an older-looking lookalike that can portray the role with the same flair that Ramsay does. (Plus, it’s much cheaper.)
All this said, with the limited information revealed regarding the production of Season 2 (which was renewed only two weeks into airing), it is impossible to say what HBO’s Craig Mazin and Naughty Dog’s Neil Druckmann are planning to do. Only they know what the plan is, and it is actually likely they don’t know yet what to do. Time will tell, but hopefully the decision they make works as well as the work they’ve done so far.
HBO’s The Last of Us is available for streaming on Amazon Prime, HBO Max, and Crave in Canada.
