HBO’s The Last Of Us, currently airing on Sky and NOW in the UK, faithfully adapts the acclaimed video game into a prestige post-apocalyptic drama series.
Created by Craig Mazin (Chernobyl) and the original game’s co-creator Neil Druckmann, the series follows Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) 20 years after modern civilisation has been ravaged by a deadly infection.
The show also stars Gabriel Luna, Anna Torv, Merle Dandridge, Nico Parker, Murray Bartlett and Nick Offerman.
Where was The Last Of Us shot?
While Joel and Ellie’s journey is set in America, The Last Of Us was filmed in Canada. According to CTV News, it was the largest production to ever take place in the country.
The production was mostly filmed around Calgary, Edmonton, Canmore, Fort Macleod and Waterton (via MobileSyrup).
Many scenes in the first episode, which takes place prior to the pandemic, were shot within Calgary. A bunch of post-pandemic scenes were also filmed in the region, including shots featuring highways overrun with foliage.
The last of us by HBO filming set caught today on 5th street in Calgary pic.twitter.com/FNzZweBLwU
— Nenad Kostic (@Nesha8x8) June 8, 2022
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The show’s third episode Long Long Time was shot in Fish Creek, Calgary. You can check out some behind-the-scenes shots below from cinematographer Eben Bolter.
A little look behind the scenes of #TLOU ep3, with a few before and after scout to shoot shots from Fish Creek, Calgary. pic.twitter.com/jFISco86qh
— Eben Bolter BSC (@ebenbolter) January 31, 2023
The community of Jackson, Wyoming, which is set to feature in a later episode, was filmed in the town of Canmore. Waterton Lakes National Park, meanwhile, was used in place of Colorado for hiking scenes between Joel and Ellie.
Jackson community is coming to life in Canmore. The town is gaining details characteristic of The Last of Us universe.
📸 @LandmanMarky | George Bayne FB pic.twitter.com/sBK51P9y1L
— The Last of Us News (@TheLastofUsNews) November 9, 2021
Some scenes yet to feature in the series were shot at Northland Village Mall. If you’ve played downloadable expansion pack The Last Of Us: Left Behind, you’ll perhaps know what to expect.
In a four-star review, NME wrote: “Gamers have been burned before by poorly conceived adaptations of their favourite titles, so they were naturally skeptical. But they needn’t have been. The Last Of Us lacks novel ideas, but when it’s this good it can get away with it.”