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EDITORIAL: The Last of Us

Television producers have learned there are ample reasons to shoot in Alberta, including the province's Film and Television Tax Credit, the lush natural environments that can be used for settings, and additional cost-related incentives that make it worthwhile to set up shop in the Wildrose province.
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The long-anticipated and highly praised HBO series The Last of Us, based on the eponymous video game that came out nearly a decade ago, has proven to be particularly interesting to Albertans, who have been able to see areas around the province as the backdrop for many of the scenes.

With the release of episode three on Jan. 29, there has been no shortage of keen-eyed viewers and social media pages that took note of the show's Albertan setting over the last few episodes. It included several places like Sheep River Falls, the SAIT campus, the Alberta Legislature, and other areas in Calgary and Edmonton.

Though there are six more episodes set to air over the next month and a half, there has already been an announcement for a second season for The Last of Us. There has been no confirmation yet on whether or not filming will continue in Alberta, but the series has clearly garnered a massive audience, and is another successful production that can be added to Alberta’s ever-growing catalogue in the entertainment industry.

Alberta has been selected as the backdrop and filming hub for many productions in the past, including Netflix’s show Black Summer, 2021’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife, and even another one of HBO’s biggest titles, Game of Thrones.

Television producers have learned there are ample reasons to shoot in Alberta, including the province's Film and Television Tax Credit, the lush natural environments that can be used for settings, and additional cost-related incentives that make it worthwhile to set up shop in the Wildrose province.

And it helps bring in money for the province, too. Figures from the Alberta Film Commission show that Alberta’s revenues from the TV and film industries were projected to double in 2022 to $995 million in net production values and an anticipated $482 in spending.

With Alberta making its mark in the entertainment industry these days, Albertan’s should expect future blockbuster titles to be filmed in the province. And hopefully we can continue to be the home for Joel and Ellie’s future adventures avoiding the infected. The Last of Us won't be the last of them.


Daniel Gonzalez

About the Author: Daniel Gonzalez

Daniel Gonzalez joined the Cochrane Eagle in 2022. He is a graduate of the Mount Royal University Journalism program. He has worked for the Kids Cancer Care Foundation of Alberta and as a reporter in rural Alberta for the ECA Review.
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