The Last of Us kicked off its two-day shoot in downtown Nanaimo as Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighbourhood with a big scene of Bella Ramsey’s Ellie and Isabela Merced’s Dina on horseback on Skinner Street in take after take.
That’s the horse trainer in the white hat.
Danny Virtue’s ranch in Mission has two horses on set playing Shimmer, both very well-trained and able to perform for hours without at a break.
Lunch at the horse trailer parked on Bastion Street.
The Bastion Bridge into the Nanaimo Arts District is closed today and tomorrow, except for pedestrians, to accommodate the shoot . . . and the horse trailer.
Set Decoration on Skinner Street:
There are murals and frayed and weathered Capitol Hill banners circa 2003, the year modern civilization came to a halt.
What is The Last of Us?
The Last of Us takes place 20 + years after modern civilization has been destroyed by a fungal pandemic. Joel (Pedro Pascal), a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle teen Ellie (Bella Ramsey) out of an oppressive quarantine zone. What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal, heartbreaking journey as they both must traverse across the U.S. and depend on each other for survival.
In season 2, we meet some new characters like Ellie’s new friend Dina (Isabela Merced) and scout Jesse (Young Mazino) in Jackson, Wyoming, where Joel and Ellie settle after the events of season one. Later Ellie and Dina travel to Seattle.
In season 2, we also meet a group of former Fireflies who’ve joined the Washington Liberation Front (WLF) militia group in Seattle: soldier Abby Anderson (Kaitlyn Dever), who’s seeking vengeance for someone she loved, soldier Manny (Danny Ramirez), doctor Mel (Ariela Barer), military medic Nora (Tati Gabrielle) and Owen (Spencer Lord).
The Last of Us Season 2:
Working title: MEGA SWORD
B.C. filming dates: February 12 2024 – August 21 2024.
Co-Creators/Writers: Craig Mazin, Neil Druckmann.
Directors: Craig Mazin, Mark Mylod, Kate Herron, Peter Hoar, Stephen Williams, Nina Lopez-Corrado.
Cast: Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey, Kaitlyn Dever, Young Mazino, Isabela Merced, Catherine O’Hara, Gabriel Luna, Rutina Wesley, Danny Ramirez, Ariela Barer, Tati Gabrielle, Spencer Lord.
Sound stages: Bridge Studios.
Season 2 of The Last of Us is expected to premiere on HBO in 2025.
Nanaimo Filming Notice:
