The Last of Us is on hiatus midway through filming the HBO series’ highly anticipated third season.
Season three is set to focus on Abby (played by Kaitlyn Dever), closely mirroring the perspective-shifting narrative of the second half of The Last of Us Part II video game on which the series is based.
The Director’s Guild of Canada’s latest British Columbia production list reveals that The Last of Us — under the alias of “Calm Current” — is on hiatus from June 1 to June 28. ScreenRant was the first to report the news.
Filming on the forthcoming season began March 2, with production expected to conclude on November 27. Although much of the story is set in Seattle, production primarily takes place in British Columbia, Canada.
Fans have speculated that the hiatus may be due to the World Cup, as Vancouver is set to host seven matches during the tournament.
One of the final scenes in The Last of Us season two sees Abby return to the fictional SoundView Stadium in Seattle, which serves as the headquarters of the Washington Liberation Front — a rebel militia group. The stadium is inspired by Lumen Field — home to the Seattle Seahawks of the NFL and Seattle Sounders FC of the MLS.
One possible explanation for the delays is that the stadium used for filming is also set to host World Cup matches in Vancouver.
HBO did not immediately respond to The Independent’s request for comment. The show’s production company, Bear and Pear Productions Inc., declined to comment.
Based on the hit video game franchise of the same name, The Last of Us is set in a post-apocalyptic world where a deadly fungal outbreak has devastated civilization, turning much of humanity into zombie-like creatures. Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey star in the lead roles of survivors Joel and Ellie, respectively.
The first season was nominated for 24 Emmy Awards and was hailed as one of the strongest video game adaptations ever made.
While the second season proved more divisive among fans due to its adaptation of the controversial events of The Last of Us Part II, it remained a major ratings draw for HBO and continued to receive strong reviews from critics.
Addressing whether the new season would be the last, HBO president Casey Bloys told Deadline earlier this year: “It certainly seems that way, but on decisions like that, we will defer to the showrunners. So you can ask them.”
However, showrunner Craig Mazin previously said: “There’s no way to complete this narrative in a third season. Hopefully, we’ll earn our keep enough to come back and finish it in a fourth.”
