HBO’s ‘The Last Of Us’ Kicked Off Filming With An Essential Scene From The Video Game

[This post contains spoilers for The Last of Us]

The first (non-pilot) scene filmed for Game of Thrones was a conversation between Ned Stark and Cersei Lannister. It’s an innocuous beginning for what would become one of the biggest shows of all-time. But HBO’s latest big-ticket adaptation kicked off production with a more essential moment than Cersei talking sh*t about her husband.

The Last of Us star Gabriel Luna has shared a behind-the-scenes image from the first day of filming in Calgary, Canada for the video game-turned-television show. “Already love these folks. #MillerTime #thelastofus,” the actor, who plays Tommy, wrote, referring to his on-screen family, Joel (played by Pedro Pascal) and Sarah (Nico Parker).

They’re smiling in the photo, but the scene they’re shooting is not a happy one. The Last of Us largely takes place 20 years after a fungus has turned the world into a post-apocalyptic nightmare full of clickers, cannibals, and rat kings. But the first game (a sequel was released in 2020) begins with a scene from the before times, where Joel is living in domestic bliss with his daughter, Sarah. One night, Sarah wakes up to a panicked phone call from her Uncle Tommy: the world has gone to hell. Before long, Joel, Tommy, and Sarah are in a car to flee whatever is happening. The escape attempt is interrupted after they get sideswiped, and while on foot, Joel and Sarah run into a solider who’s tasked with killing the infected. They’re fine, but the soldier still shoots Sarah, killing her and setting up Joel’s emotional arc in the game. And soon, show.

What a fun way to start a new job!

The Last of Us does not currently have a premiere date.