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HBO's The Last of Us TV adaptation "well exceeds the eight-figure per episode mark", according to the president of a union that represents people working in the entertainment sector in Alberta, Canada, where the show is being filmed.
Damian Petti, president of IATSE 212, either would or could not "confirm the official budget numbers", but told CTV News that The Last of Us TV show is "likely the largest project shooting in Canada".
"This project well exceeds the eight-figure per episode mark," he told the network, "so there is a multiplier effect on our economy in terms of its impact. There are hundreds of related businesses benefitting from the plethora of work.
"The Last of Us which commences photography this week is indeed a monster," Petti added (thanks, TheGamer). "It has five art directors and employs an army of hundreds of technicians. It has had six months of prep and shoots [in Alberta, Canada] for 12 months."
ICYMI, The Last of Us TV show recently bulked out its cast with three new additions. Bill and his lover/partner Frank will be appearing in the upcoming HBO production, as will a completely original character – played by Tommy's voice actor.
Con O'Neill will play Bill and Murray Bartlett plays Frank. The pair are described as "two post-pandemic survivalists living alone in their own isolated town." On the other hand, Tommy's voice actor, Jeffrey Pierce, will play Perry, a "rebel in a quarantine zone," potentially Boston if the series is closely following the events of the games.
The first season of The Last of Us will run for a sizeable 10 episodes. The initial report on the series in March 2020 hinted that "multiple seasons" could also be a possibility, so an adaptation of The Last of Us 2 can't be ruled out.
A director working on The Last of Us TV series has also penciled in a '2022' release date on their Instagram page. With the cast seemingly almost complete – with Game of Thrones' Bella Ramsey playing Ellie and other actors joining the series in recent weeks – it seems like things are finally getting going on the hotly-anticipated adaptation of Naughty Dog's seminal series.
Find out what's coming to cinemas in 2021 with our guide to movie release dates.
