HBO’s ‘The Last of Us’ series largest Canadian film/TV production of all time
Posted Aug 3, 2021 3:46 pm.
Last Updated Aug 4, 2021 6:19 am.
CALGARY – It’s a major milestone for Alberta’s film and television industry.
Premier Jason Kenney announced that HBO’s ‘The Last of Us’ TV series is the largest film or television production in Canadian history, and it’s filming right here in Alberta.
“It is perhaps the best example of the record year that the film industry is having, thanks to Alberta’s Recovery Plan,” Kenney said.
The province also says a key part of that plan—the Film and Television Tax Credit—is attracting major productions to the province, diversifying the economy, and creating thousands of new jobs.
READ MORE: Alberta film, tax credit attracts nearly $1B in productions
“We wanted to send a message to the HBOs, the Disneys, Universals, and MGMs of the world,” Kenney said. “Alberta is open for business and keen to land their productions, and we’re going big.”
HBO’s ‘The Last of Us’ is based on the best-selling, critically-acclaimed videogame of the same name, touted for its deep narrative and characterization of the collapse of modern civilization after a fungal disease devastates humanity. Many, including the Premier, have drawn comparisons from ‘The Last of Us’ to another widely-popular HBO show, ‘Game of Thrones’—in terms of its scale, budget, and ambition.
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Production of ‘The Last of Us’ is already underway and expected to create thousands of jobs in Alberta.
The province also said since the launch of the Film and Television Tax Credit in January 2020, it has attracted 50 productions to Alberta with total production costs of $955 million, creating 9,000 new direct and indirect jobs in the province.
