Production of The Last of Us Season 2 began on February 12th, 2024, in British Columbia, Canada, though details of filming and casting have been scarce. Now that Season 2 of the HBO series has been confirmed, it is expected that the show will follow the plot of the video game sequel. Let’s take a look at the details.
Filming is Happening at a Paranormal Investigations Hot Spot
Reddit user breadfruitworrywitch posted a photograph of a Greenplace Market set at Tranquille Farm Fresh in Kamloops, a now-defunct sanitarium turned into farmland that is host to an escape room, heritage tours, and paranormal investigators. Tranquille Sanatorium, situated in Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada, was established in 1907 with the purpose of treating tuberculosis, commonly referred to as ‘The White Plague.’ The site where the hospital stands was formerly utilized for ranching activities until the British Columbian government acquired the land for the development of the sanatorium. Initially designated as the King Edward VII Sanatorium, the facility primarily catered to tuberculosis patients during the height of the epidemic.
Tranquille Sanatorium ceased operations in 1958, reopening briefly in 1959 to care for individuals with mental disabilities before permanently closing in 1983. It briefly served as a detention center for young offenders until the 1990s. In 1991, Giovanni Camporese purchased the land with plans to transform it into a resort named ‘Padova City,’ but government intervention and legal issues halted the project. Today, the abandoned site has been repurposed as Tranquille Farm Fresh, offering agricultural activities, escape rooms, and heritage tours. The land has also been featured in notable films such as ‘The A-Team’ and ‘Firewall.’
The market is a location that players traverse through in the opening tutorial sequence of The Last of Us Part II and pictures of the set seem to confirm that The Last of Us Season 2 will at least have some similarities to the game. Tranquille Farm Fresh and the Tranquille Sanatorium have been used in other productions like Jurassic World Dominion, Van Helsing Season 4, and The A-Team movie.
Details about casting for The Last of Us Part 2 have thus far been unconfirmed, but we already know that Bella Ramsey will be reprising her role as Ellie and that Pedro Pascal will be returning as Joel. Gabriel Luna is also listed on IMDB as returning to his role of Tommy, and Rutina Wesley as Maria Miller will also be re-joining the cast. On the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Ramsey stated that she is “really excited, to be honest, for the Ellie/Dina story,” hinting at the inclusion of plot beats featuring the two characters in The Last of Us Part II. In the game, Dina is Ellie’s friend turned romantic partner and a playable character in the No Return mode. It is unknown if The Last of Us Season 2 will develop and maintain Dina and Ellie’s relationship from the game or if it will develop in a different direction.
What is The Last of Us?
The Last of Us is a post-apocalyptic horror adventure that follows the stories of Joel (played Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (played by Bella Ramsey). Set in the aftermath of a fungal infection that has ravaged the world, the two travel across the United States facing numerous dangers, including zombie-like infected humans and hostile survivors. Ellie is demonstrated to be immune to the infection, and the two seek a research facility to assist with developing a cure. During their journey, Joel and Ellie form a father-daughter relationship, and he slowly opens up to her about the loss of his daughter during the initial outbreak. Though they are successful in reaching their destination, Joel discovers that the procedure to develop a cure would require the sacrifice of Ellie. The Last of Us video game was released in 2013 and was adapted as an HBO television series in 2023. Following the success of the game, developer Naughty Dog and publisher Sony Computer Entertainment released a sequel, The Last of Us Part II in 2020 to critical acclaim.
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