Exclusive insight into Steven Spielberg's reaction to The Last Of Us from episode 3 director

Steven Spielberg, the legendary Hollywood director, caused a stir among the creators of HBO's The Last of Us with a letter he sent them. The show, which wrapped up its first season earlier this year, has become one of HBO's top series and has received critical acclaim. As the zombie drama, based on the popular video game, follows the journey of Joel and Ellie across a landscape filled with good and questionable people, as well as mushroom-spawned zombie monsters, much of the excitement around the show centers on its well-crafted human plot lines, particularly in its third episode, "Long Long Time," which has received praise from both fans and critics alike.

During The Hollywood Reporter's recent Director Roundtable, it was revealed that The Last of Us series co-creator Craig Mazin had received a letter from none other than Spielberg himself. The renowned filmmaker, who has directed and produced some of the most successful movies of the past five decades, praised the series and specifically mentioned episode 3, directed by Peter Hoar. Mazin was so thrilled with the letter that he shared it with Hoar, as well as the episode's stars Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett, and cinematographer Eben Bolter.

The emotional and captivating love story between Bill (Offerman) and Franks (Bartlett) in episode 3 of The Last of Us, written by co-creator Craig Mazin and directed by Hoar, takes viewers on a journey through their lives after the zombie apocalypse. From dealing with the harsh realities of post-apocalyptic living to facing occasional human and zombie attacks, the couple's story left fans and critics alike in tears. Spielberg was so moved by the episode that he wrote a congratulatory letter to Mazin. According to ScreenRant, this is a common practice of Spielberg's in recent years, as he has also written to the creators of HBO's Succession and Netflix's Mo, and even offered advice to up-and-coming directors such as Joseph Sargent.

The Last of Us season 1 is available on Max.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter