Fun fact about The Last of Us: Crew members were not allowed to mention "zombies"

For those American TV viewers who are not familiar with the game, The Last of Us is often compared to The Walking Dead because it looks like a "zombie apocalypse" TV series. However, in fact, the crew photographer Eben Bolter recently shared that the word "zombie" has become a "taboo word" on the crew.

In an interview with The Credits, Bolter said: "We weren't allowed to say the 'Z' word on set. It was like a forbidden word. They were 'the infected.' We're not a 'zombie show.' Sure, there are tensions and jump scares, but the show is really about our characters; the infected are just the obstacles they have to deal with."

In the game, it is a "cordyceps" fungus that transforms humans into monsters and destroys human civilization. It lodges in the human brain, transforms it into a host, and tries to spread it to others. It is inspired by a real-life fungus that parasitizes ants and manipulates their behavior.

In the TV series, bites are the primary way to spread infection, but in the game, airborne fungal spores are just as threatening. These infections have a longer and more painful lifespan than the viral mutations common in Resident Evil.

Bolter went on to explain: "The Last of Us isn't a lot of things. It's not a cliché zombie movie, nor is it a Hollywood blockbuster with everyone's close-ups being flawless. It's a raw, naturalistic film that just needs to be felt."