A line of dialogue in the Season 2 finale of The Last of Us has Alberta back in the spotlight — this time, in-universe.
In a clip posted by advocacy group Keep Alberta Rolling on May 26, two characters in the HBO series refer to Alberta during a conversation about Jackson, Wyoming, and a travelling trade group. The exchange contains no visual spoilers.
"Remember that group, I stopped by Jackson for a few weeks on the way south to Mexico," one character says.
"From Alberta?" Ellie asks.
"Yeah, they had some decent stuff to trade. There was this girl with them. She was a couple years older than me, I don't know if you remember, she was selling paintings — like landscapes and stuff."
"Were they good?" Ellie asks.
Ellie is portrayed by Bella Ramsey, one of the show’s two lead actors.
The clip was posted by Keep Alberta Rolling on May 26 with the caption: "{NO SPOILERS} A cool shout out nod to Alberta in last night’s Season 2 finale of #TheLastofUs — all of Season 1 and parts of the first few episodes of this season filmed in the province 🎥 So proud! #abfilm."
According to Travel Alberta, The Last of Us was the largest film production in Alberta’s history and one of the largest ever filmed in Canada. Season 1 was shot between July 2021 and June 2022 in more than 180 locations across the province.
Filming locations included downtown Calgary, the Alberta Legislature in Edmonton, Fort Macleod, Canmore, SAIT, and Mount Royal University. Both lead actors — Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey — identified Canmore as their favourite Alberta filming location, according to Travel Alberta.
While Season 2 is primarily being filmed in British Columbia, Travel Alberta states that Alberta locations are still featured in the new season. Episode 1, titled Future Days, includes scenes shot in Exshaw, Highway 1A, and Fortress Mountain in Kananaskis Country.
Travel Alberta identifies Fortress Mountain as a filming site for the Season 2 premiere, noting its previous appearances in Inception, The Revenant, Brokeback Mountain, Jumanji, and The Bourne Legacy. In The Last of Us, the area appears in a scene where Ellie practices target shooting.
Fortress Mountain, once a ski resort that closed in 2004, is now used for cat skiing and climate research. Nearby activities include hiking, canoeing at Spray Lakes Provincial Park, and aerial tours with Alpine Helicopters, according to Travel Alberta.
Episode 2, titled Through the Valley, includes scenes filmed in Bellevue, Alberta. Travel Alberta describes Bellevue as a historic community in the Crowsnest Pass with roots in coal mining and access to hiking, fishing, and wildlife viewing.
According to HBO, The Last of Us is set in a post-pandemic world devastated by a parasitic fungal outbreak that began in 2003, turning humans into violent creatures known as the Infected. Twenty years later, hardened survivor Joel, played by Pedro Pascal, is hired to smuggle 14-year-old Ellie, played by Bella Ramsey, to a resistance group known as the Fireflies.
Season 2 picks up five years after the events of Season 1. HBO states that "Joel and Ellie’s collective past catches up to them, drawing them into conflict with each other and a world even more dangerous and unpredictable than the one they left behind."
The series is written and executive-produced by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann. Additional executive producers include Carolyn Strauss, Jacqueline Lesko, Cecil O’Connor, Asad Qizilbash, Carter Swan, and Evan Wells. The show is produced by PlayStation Productions, Word Games, Mighty Mint, and Naughty Dog.
Sign up to get the latest local news headlines delivered directly to your inbox every afternoon.
Send your news tips, story ideas, pictures, and videos to news@discoverairdrie.com. You can also message and follow us on Twitter: @AIR1061FM.
DiscoverAirdrie encourages you to get your news directly from your trusted source by bookmarking this page and downloading the DiscoverAirdrie app.