Where was ‘The Last of Us’ filmed?

One of HBO’s most anticipated new television series, The Last of Us, is currently in production. The show is an adaptation of Naughty Dog’s critically acclaimed PlayStation series of video games that shares the same name. The series stars Pedro Pascal as Joel, a man who has been living through years of an apocalypse, and Bella Ramsey as Ellie, a girl whom Joel is tasked with protecting. 

One of the more interesting things about the games is that they take locations around the United States, and put The Last of Us twist on them, polluting them with spores, fungi, and the infected. The video games saw Ellie and Joel travel quite a bit and they took place in the following locations: Boston, Massachusetts; Jackson, Wyoming; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Salt Lake City, Utah; Seattle, Washington; and Santa Barbara, California. 

It would be a shame if the live-action series did not take the opportunity to show the live-action version of some real infected cities. So let’s take a look at where The Last of Us is filmed, and where they could travel to in the series. 

Where did they film HBO’s The Last of Us?

HBO spent just over one year filming in Alberta, Canada, which will undoubtedly double for some of the locations in the video game. It’s not unusual for a television show set in the United States to actually be filmed in Canada, whether for tax purposes or ease of shooting.

Filming has also started in Kansas City, Missouri, presumably to capture some landmarks. 

While the game had a few time skips — bypassing seasons, states, and long road trips to get to the next spot on the map sooner — the series will probably not take quite the same route. Showing the full route Joel and Ellie take in the series would not only show how the pair grow together, but it would also be a great opportunity to endear the characters to the audience, making their interactions towards the end of the story all the more important. 

It’s also possible that the series will continue to film in some of the locations of the video game, most likely showcasing some of the landmarks of those states, to make the world of HBO’s The Last of Us feel as lived in and as desolate as the video games.

HBO’s The Last of Us is set to release sometime in 2023.