Here's Why the Word “Zombie” Was Banned from “The Last of Us” Set
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If you’ve tuned into HBO’s latest hit series The Last of Us, then you perhaps have grown wary of flour-based products and/or find yourself far too worried about the potential of a catastrophic, world-ending fungal outbreak. Fair! The show takes place in a post-apocalyptic world, 20 years after a viral infection called Cordyceps has ravaged society.
Derived from the 2013 video game of the same name (and my nightmares, apparently), those infected by Cordyceps morph into human-sized fungi, sprouting spindly tendrils from their orifices and erupting into mushroom-like blooms from head to toe. There are different types of the flesh-eating monster, based on the severity of their infection: Runners, Stalkers, Clickers, Bloaters and Shamblers, and The Rat King (we apologize for the image this just evoked in your head).
But no matter how diseased, do *not* call the infected zombies. In fact, that comparison is so frowned upon by The Last of Us showrunners, the word “zombie” was reportedly banned from the set.
According to Screen Rant, series cinematographer Eben Bolter appeared on The Credits podcast and said that for the four episodes he worked on, the moniker was *very* discouraged.
“We weren’t allowed to say the Z word on set. It was like a banned word,” Bolter revealed. “They were the Infected. We weren’t a zombie show. Of course, there’s tension building and jump scares but the show’s really about our characters; The Infected are an obstacle they have to deal with.”
This is understandable, considering the word “zombie” indicates that the infected have died and come back to life as soulless corpses. Instead, the Cordyceps infection burrows itself inside its victims’ brains, taking complete control over their thoughts, memories, and movements until they eventually die, often years later.
Either way, not great. But that won’t stop us from counting down the days until the next episode, which streams this Sunday, February 19, on HBO.
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