HBO’s upcoming TV series based on The Last of Us was always going to look the part, and some recent comments suggest quite a lot of money has gone into it. In fact, it might be one of the most expensive shows ever produced.
The information comes from CTV in Alberta, Canada, where The Last of Us is currently shooting. Some local talent and workforce is being used, and Damian Petti president of IATSE 212, a stage and motion pictures technicians, union gave a read on the expected budget. “This project well exceeds the eight figure per episode mark,” he says, “so there is a multiplier effect on our economy in terms of its impact. There are hundreds of related businesses benefitting from the plethora of work.”
He calls it “a monster”, and says it might be “the largest project shooting in Canada”. Preparation for the shoots in Alberta have been going on for six months, and it’s believed crews will be there for 12 all in. Actor Gabriel Luna, who’s playing Tommy, brother of lead character Joel, shared an Instagram post from Alberta to mark the start of cameras rolling.
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Based on the horror game from developer Naughty Dog, the Last of Us follows two characters, Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey), and their treacherous journey across a post-apocalyptic United States. They’ve to navigate zombies after spores turn much of the human race into mindless ghouls.
Nico Parker is playing Joel’s daughter, and Jeffrey Pierce, who voiced Tommy in the game, has a different role in this live-action version. Craig Mazin, of HBO’s Chernobyl, is co-writing the screenplays for the series, with game director Neil Druckmann.
We don’t have any release date for HBO’s The Last of Us just yet, but here’s the best zombie movies to satisfy your appetite in the meantime.