‘The Last of Us' crew members weren't allowed to say 'zombie' word on set

The Last of Us has set new popularity records on HBO. The show, which is based on Naughty Dog’s 2013 video game, focuses on the story a man named Joel (Pedro Pascal) who must escort a teenaged girl named Ellie (Bella Ramsey) across a ruined United States, 20 years after a fungal outbreak.

However, the show creators and crew members have revealed that they were not allowed to use the word ‘zombies,’ instead, they were told to use ‘infected.’

The Last of Us cinematographer Eben Bolter, who worked on episodes three and four of the apocalyptic drama, shared the word ‘zombie’ wasn't allowed to be used while making the show.

"We weren't allowed to say the Z word on set. It was like a banned word," Bolter told The Credits.

"They were the Infected. We weren't a zombie show," Bolter added. "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."

Bolter further explained that the primary focus of The Last of Us isn't the infected anyway. Its main focus is on a teenager, Ellie (Ramsay), who may be a cure to the infection, and her cross-country journey to a group that wants to create an antidote to the Cordyceps.