CGI Used in 'The Last of Us' for Kaitlyn Dever

While much discussion has focused on Abby's introduction in The Last of Us Season 2, few anticipated actor Kaitlyn Dever requiring CGI to conceal an unfortunate spider bite mark.

The unexpected situation emerged during Dever's interview with the Los Angeles Times, where she revealed production had to digitally remove a noticeable bite sustained before filming crucial Fireflies scenes.

"It appears in my first Fireflies episode," Dever explained. "During a break between shoots, I developed what I initially thought was a pimple. It turned out to be a significant spider bite."

She described the visible effects: "The bite became... I hesitate to say it, but it began leaking fluid. The VFX team did incredible work - the correction is completely invisible. I still bear a facial scar from the medical procedure to remove it."

Dever also shared how personal tragedy informed her performance in pivotal scenes. Having lost her mother to cancer just days before filming, she channeled raw emotion into the chalet confrontation with Joel and Ellie.

"I returned to set just three days after her funeral," Dever recalled. "The following day we filmed that intense Fireflies sequence. The experience remains hazy - grief profoundly affects memory and perception."

HBO reports strong viewership for Season 2, with the series now reaching over 90 million global viewers since Season 1 concluded. The U.S. finale attracted 3.7 million cross-platform viewers, down from the season premiere's 5.3 million. Warner Bros anticipates final numbers will rise significantly post-Memorial Day weekend.

Notably, Season 1's finale set a series record with 8.2 million viewers - a benchmark Season 2's conclusion hasn't yet matched.

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Showrunner Craig Mazin recently suggested the story requires at least four seasons to properly adapt both game narratives. While Season 3 may expand beyond Season 2's length, Mazin confirmed "the complete story cannot fit within three seasons."

Mazin and Neil Druckmann also revealed they're still determining screen time for certain characters, noting they don't yet know "how much, or rather how little" some fan favorites will appear.