Filming of HBO series The Last of Us, the largest-ever production in Canada, underway in Calgary
Filming of the HBO television series The Last of Us — the largest-ever production in Canada — has begun in the Calgary area, which is one of 50 productions attracted here by the Film and Television Tax Credit, Premier Jason Kenney said Tuesday.
Crews are still building a large set for the HBO series near Stampede Park. A small street lined with faux-brick buildings is being created to shoot part of The Last of Us, which is an adaptation of a popular post-apocalyptic video game.
Dozens of TV and movie productions are set to start shooting or have wrapped up in Alberta since January 2020, leading to in $955 million in spending that created 9,000 jobs, the premier added.
"This is a true Alberta success story, a billion-dollar industry springing up around us right in front of our eyes," he said.
"These productions are filling hotel rooms all over Alberta with workers who are patronizing restaurants and other services, they're hiring carpenters and caterers, they're creating jobs for lighting and tech crews, they're driving both economic diversification and growth at a time when we desperately need it."
The City of Calgary has announced its intention to sell the Calgary Film Centre. (file)
The Last of Us production is estimated to bring in upwards of $200 million in revenue to Alberta and is being called the largest TV production in Canadian history.
"Not only does this bring one of the largest shows to our region, it also shows the rest of the world the quality of work that can be done in Alberta," said Luke Azevedo with Calgary Economic Development.
He points out that other productions have recently chosen Alberta for a backdrop, including Fraggle Rock, Under the Banner of Heaven and Wynnona Earp.
"What really brings Hollywood to us, beyond our crew base and quality of crew and talent, is the quality of our vistas and backdrops."
"So they're going to all these smaller regions -- the prairies, the mountains, the badlands -- and they're investing big dollars there," Azevedo said.
Though The Last of Us is the largest TV production in Canada, other large movies are being developed here.
The trailer for the newest Ghostbusters film was released last week, which was filmed in southern Alberta, and in June, work began on MGM's new series, Billy The Kid.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
'You ask for your money, they disappear': Ontario man loses $17K to AI crypto scam
A Toronto man is spreading the word of a cryptocurrency scam that lures victims using AI-generated news sites after he lost $17,000 in investments.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
High thoughts: The habits of Canadian cannabis users are revealed in a new StatCan report
Statistics Canada has conducted a series of surveys to measure the impacts of legalized cannabis since the Cannabis Act took effect in 2018. The latest one, the 2023 National Cannabis Survey, sheds light on users' preferences and habits last year.
Trump says Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and their religion
Former U.S. president Donald Trump on Monday charged that Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and hate 'their religion,' igniting a firestorm of criticism from the White House and Jewish leaders.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Freddie Mercury's home is on the market for first time since 1980 minus his 'exquisite clutter'
Freddie Mercury's sanctuary in London, where he lived the last decade of his life, is on sale for the first time in nearly half a century -- minus his "exquisite clutter."
'The lost season': Winter comes to a close as Canada's warmest on record
The warmest winter on record could have far-reaching effects on everything from wildfire season to erosion, climatologists say, while offering a preview of what the season could resemble in the not-so-distant future unless steps are taken to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.