The Last of Us is an American post-apocalyptic drama TV series, which premiered in January 2023 on HBO. It is the first HBO series based on a video game, specifically The Last of Us (2013). The series was filmed in Alberta. More details are provided below on calgaryski.net.
Plot
The story takes place 20 years after the 2003 outbreak of a parasitic fungus, Cordyceps, which infected humanity and turned those who inhaled its toxic spores into zombies. After losing his daughter during the early stages of the pandemic, Joel and his partner Tess engage in smuggling and theft for 20 years, until they are given a drastic opportunity: to escort a teenage girl, Ellie, through post-apocalyptic America in exchange for a truck. However, what starts as a routine job turns into a brutal and harrowing journey.
At the beginning of their journey, it is revealed that Ellie is immune to the virus. Tess sacrifices her life for Joel and Ellie, after which the two of them travel across the U.S., encountering enemies and allies. Although they initially hesitate to trust each other, a deep bond forms between the two. When Joel is severely injured, Ellie finds medicine to save his life. Later, when Joel is forced to make an impossible choice regarding Ellie’s life, he gives up everything to protect her. Together, they fight for survival in a dangerous world.
180 Alberta Locations
For post-apocalyptic series, it is crucial to have access to both urban locations with remnants of civilization and rural areas that portray the vast emptiness left after the fungal infection devastates humanity. Alberta offers this with its large cities, Calgary and Edmonton, and vast, uninhabited prairies.
The Last of Us was filmed in the province from July 2021 to June 2022. The series represents the remains of major American cities like Austin, Boston, Kansas City, Jackson, and others. To translate the game story to the screen, production designer John Payne used an impressive 180 locations in Alberta.
Filming began in Calgary on July 12, 2021. While most interiors were shot on the city’s sound stages, exterior scenes were filmed in nearby towns. The production team later traveled to High River and Fort Macleod, which played the role of the American state of Texas. The initial scenes, showing the three main characters casually interacting with their neighbors, were filmed here before they suddenly attempt to escape as the chaos begins.
The scenes were recreated quite realistically, even though High River and Fort Macleod are relatively far from each other. The production team altered several storefronts to better reflect the atmosphere of the Texan city of Austin. In August, the team returned to Calgary.
In October, filming took place in downtown Edmonton for four days, costing around 372,000 Canadian dollars. Notable locations featured on screen include 100a Street NW and Rice Howard Way NW, as well as the Alberta Legislature Building, where the Alberta Legislature and Executive Council of Alberta meet. This building can be seen in the series trailer, showcasing several locations from the province.
Later in October, filming continued in Calgary, specifically in the Beltline neighborhood. In November, production moved to Canmore, which stood in for the American town of Jackson (Wyoming). The picturesque Rocky Mountains and Canmore Engine Bridge appear in the episode. In episode 6, when Joel and Ellie finally reach Jackson, they cross the “River of Death,” and Joel is reunited with his brother. This small town, where they live, was also filmed in Canmore.
When Joel and Ellie head west from Jackson, they encounter the University of Eastern Colorado, which was actually represented by two separate Calgary campuses – Mount Royal University and the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT).
In January 2022, the abandoned Northland Village Mall in northwest Calgary was transformed into a shopping center for an episode titled “Left Behind.” The mall had no storefronts at the time, so they were installed for filming. Additionally, a second floor was built and added with visual effects. Some episodes were also filmed in Okotoks and Waterton Lakes National Park.
In March, the runway at Calgary’s northeast airport was closed for three days. During this March filming session, Calgary stood in for Kansas City, Missouri. Production continued in April and May around the Calgary Courts Centre, Kensington business area, and Victoria Park. The Texas scenes were filmed in Olds in late May, and in early June, filming resumed in High River.
The hospital shown in the final episode of the series exists in real life in Grande Prairie, a city known for its oil and gas production. The final scene with the giraffes was filmed at the Calgary Zoo, where a green screen and set decorations were added to the giraffe enclosure.
Stars of the Series
The main actor of The Last of Us is American actor of Chilean descent Pedro Pascal, who plays the tough and reflective Joel. Pascal became famous for his role as Prince Oberyn Martell in season four of Game of Thrones, Javier Peña in Narcos, and as the space bounty hunter in The Mandalorian from the Star Wars universe.
The role of young Ellie went to British actress Bella Ramsey, who previously portrayed Lyanna Mormont in Game of Thrones.
Interesting Facts
- The popularity of The Last of Us has sparked interest in fungi in the scientific world. The series features the parasitic fungus cordyceps, which primarily affects ants and spiders, with the likelihood of it evolving to infect humans being extremely low. The human body temperature is too high for most fungi to survive. However, climate change has enabled some fungi to withstand higher temperatures, contributing to an increase in fungal infections in humans over time.
In real life, cordyceps is used in some medications and even as a coffee alternative for those with caffeine intolerance.
- The actors who played the infected underwent special training to convincingly portray the crazed yet terrifying characters.
- The showrunner and writer of the series is Craig Mazin. He is also known for creating the five-episode miniseries Chernobyl, which aired on HBO in 2019. Mazin was a successful Hollywood screenwriter for many years, penning several installments of Scary Movie, The Hangover Part II, and The Hangover Part III, but he gained widespread acclaim for Chernobyl.
- Directors prohibited Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey from playing the original The Last of Us video game to avoid having the actors blindly mimic the characters from the game. Instead, they were encouraged to create original portrayals with their own emotions.