Exciting news for The Last of Us fans, both gaming and series-wise. Filming for The Last of Us Season 2 has been reported to have commenced! This means that we’ll be able to follow Joel and Ellie in new episodes of the award-winning show. Let’s take a look at what we know!
The Last of Us Season 2 Shot in Vancouver, British Columbia
A post by the main actor Pedro Pascal was made on his Instagram account, captioned “We both hide chewing gum in our teeth. Don’t tell @sagaftra (to #TLOU family. You are the bones and the blood ❤️ we are zero without you).” He posed with co-star Bella Ramsey, who plays the role of Ellie in the show.
Variety reported that the casting process for the second season faced a delay in May 2023, attributed to the Writers Guild of America strike. During this period, actors were auditioning using scenes from the video game, The Last of Us Part II, as scripts were unavailable. The production team aimed to commence casting for the second season with the character Abby. Co-creator/executive producer Craig Mazin had suggested, and the Los Angeles Times confirmed, that Abby’s role had already been filled before the strike. The announcement of Kaitlyn Dever’s casting as Abby came on January 9, 2024, followed by Mazin’s role as Jesse on January 10, and Merced’s as Dina on January 11.
The 2023 SAG/AFTRA Strike Impact on Season 2
According to Wikipedia, in February 2023, a writers’ room for the second season was established in Los Angeles. Mazin and Druckmann were joined by Halley Gross, co-writer of Part II with Druckmann, and Bo Shim, a new addition to the team. By April, scripts were already in the process of being written, and a comprehensive outline for the entire season had been mapped out. However, the writers faced a setback in May due to the writers’ strike. Mazin managed to complete and submit only the first episode, approximately 90 minutes before the strike commenced. Throughout the strike period, neither Mazin nor Druckmann contributed to the series. Instead, Mazin engaged in “brain-writing” during walks, mentally outlining scenes. The plan was to swiftly complete scripts after the strike to ensure a seamless production schedule.
In a deadline article, “We got pretty far actually, we were doing great,” Mazin said. “Neil and I had been sitting and talking with Halley Gross, who also worked on the second game as a writer, and Bo Shim, the new writer that was in our little tiny room with us — obviously not a mini room because we’re greenlit the proper, we’re a real show, and because I hate that mini room stuff.”
The filming of the second season is scheduled to occur in British Columbia, in locations such as Vancouver and its surrounding area. The start of production, initially delayed by the writers’ and actors’ strikes, is now slated to begin on February 12, 2024. As per information from the Directors Guild of Canada (DGC) and the Union of British Columbia Performers/Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television, and Radio Artists (UBCP/ACTRA), production is anticipated to conclude on September 9, operating under the working title “Mega Sword.”
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