HBO is getting ready to film its live-action adaptation of Naughty Dog’s hit action-adventure franchise, The Last of Us. According to a recent report from CTV News regarding one of the series’ primary shooting locations, Alberta’s town of Fort Macleod, HBO is sparing no expense on the production of The Last of Us and is paying top dollar to ensure that its quality is consistent with that of the critically acclaimed games. As suggested by union president Damian Petti, the budget of The Last of Us series is rumored to be in the hundreds of millions, with each episode exceeding eight figures. The production is already shaping up to a huge boon for Albertans and surrounding businesses, with five art directors and “an army of hundreds of technicians” already lined up ahead of principal photography. HBO’s The Last of Us series stars Pedro Pascal (The Mandalorian) and Bella Ramsey (Game of Thrones) in the key roles of Joel and Ellie, respectively.
Updates on The Last of US HBO Series
— Benji-Sales (@BenjiSales) July 18, 2021
– Budget over 8 figures per episode ($10+ million)
– 5 Art Directors, hundreds of technicians, 6 months prep work, and 12 months of shooting
“The Last of Us which commences photography this week is indeed a monster”https://t.co/1z05D25qzs pic.twitter.com/UnYNCJDcab
What I know FOR SURE is that the pilot for LAST OF US tv is the MOST EXPENSIVE PILOT in the HISTORY of HBO. Think about that! Crazy and cool! 🙂 https://t.co/HoIbJGCYKU
— DAVID SCOTT JAFFE (@davidscottjaffe) July 18, 2021
In preparation for filming, crews have made over Main Street. Store fronts have been changed over to fit the shoot and some shops, like the Fort Pharmacy, have been changed to look like something else, like a furniture store. That’s causing a bit of confusion among residents. “People come down and they say they’ve been looking at one of the stores that’s across the street and say, well when did that one open up? And not realize that it’s actually a set,” said the front store manager for the pharmacy, Michelle Harris.
Source: CTV News