'The Last of Us' shoot transforms New West into post-apocalyptic wasteland
Parts of downtown New Westminster were recently taken over by a massive set for The Last of Us, and a local fan got to experience the apocalyptic set up close.
Season 3 of the hit HBO Max series is filming in Metro Vancouver until the end of November, with a shoot earlier this week taking place on Front Street beneath the New West Parkade.
According to Kate Seliverstova, a neighbourhood resident and The Last of Us fan, getting to see the production of the series was a surreal moment.
Kate Seliverstova
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“Our apartment faces Columbia Street and the Fraser River, so we have a front-row seat to whatever comes and goes on the street below,” Seliverstova told Daily Hive. “When we noticed a convoy of white production trucks rolling in and parking along Front Street, we knew something was coming.
“We went out for our regular dog walk, and that’s when we saw them setting up what looked like apocalyptic scenery. Then I spotted a military-style vehicle, and there it was right on the side: the WLF logo, the emblem of the Washington Liberation Front. That’s the moment I knew we were standing in the middle of a The Last of Us set. I felt incredibly lucky to witness it.”
Photos taken by Seliverstova show abandoned cars overgrown by nature, military vehicles on flatbed trucks, and production tents getting ready for filming.
Kate Seliverstova
With Vancouver playing a central role as the primary filming location for the second season, the city has doubled as numerous post-outbreak locales in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Season 2 of The Last of Us was one of the most expensive productions ever filmed in British Columbia.
The show became a global hit after debuting in early 2023, praised for its emotional storytelling, world-building, and faithful adaptation of the popular video game series. Season 2 delved deeper into the storylines, with the region’s urban core, back alleys, and forested outskirts serving as the perfect canvas for the dystopian narrative.
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“I was completely drawn in by the show,” explained Seliverstova. “HBO did such a great job with this production, in my opinion. I’m genuinely excited for the new season.
“In the past six to eight months, this neighbourhood has quietly become a bit of a production hub. One of the most striking was a Fire Country shoot on Begbie Street, where the crew completely transformed the block into San Francisco. They brought in a cable car, transformed the storefronts into a vinyl record shop and a Chinese restaurant, neither of which actually exists here. It was a full transformation.”
Another recent shoot in New Westminster saw the Showtime survival drama series Yellowjackets take over the intersection of 12th Street and 6th Avenue. Though that set did leave some local residents confused.
Kate Seliverstova
“I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out when the new season airs,” added Seliverstova.
“There’s something really special about watching a street you walk every day transform into a different world, and then later recognizing it on screen. That full circle moment, from our sidewalk to a finished episode, is something I’ll always be looking out for.”