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CANADA’S LAST OF US

HBO has found another major hit with The Last of Us. The show’s hyper realism allows it to recreate the post-apocalyptic world known to fans of the video game. The abandoned and overgrown cities are hauntingly beautiful at times, which is why some fans are curious where The Last of Us was filmed. While Joel is on a mission to take Ellie across the United States in the show, The Last of Us was actually filmed in Canada.

Production chose Alberta, Canada, and used different towns and cities within the province to recreate the deserted cities Joel and Ellie travel through.

Apparently HBO built a massive set for The Last of
Us near Stampede Park in Calgary. The set included fake brick buildings and was produced for the Boston lockdown zone that Joel resides in. While the set was likely taken down once production stopped, there are more locations in Calgary. For instance, Bella Ramsey, who stars as Ellie in the show, shared a photo from Episode 2 that was filmed in Calgary. With the downtown skyline in the background, Ramsey, Pedro Pascal, and Anna Torv posed next to a flipped over car on the highway

Other towns and cities in Alberta that were used for the HBO show include High River, Fort Macleod, Edmonton, and Canmore — which was Pascal’s favorite filming location. High River’s downtown looks like the town Joel, Sarah, and Tommy are trying to escape from in the first episode, but that was actually in Fort Macleod, according to Atlas of Wonders.

The Miller’s home from the pilot was located in High River, which is also where the diner Joel carries Sarah through while they’re being chased by a zombie is located. .

The gas station from Episode 3 that Joel and Ellie stop in on their way to visit Bill and Frank is the Priddis General Store. Speaking of Bill and Frank’s house, that was built for the show in the Beachwood neighbourhood of High River.

This isn’t the first time that Hollywood has used Canada instead of shooting somewhere closer to home. Tax breaks are a big reason why a production may opt for a certain location over something more realistic. Since Alberta, started offering a Film and Television Tax Credit in 2021, the province has seen an increase in productions choosing to film there and The Last of Us just so happens to be one of them.

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