Almost a year to the day since downtown Nanaimo was closed for filming, scenes from Commercial and Skinner streets featured on an episode The Last of Us TV show.
The HBO series revolves around a fungal-born pandemic that decimates Earth's population, with lead actor Bella Ramsey's character, Ellie, immune. Episode 4, entitled Day One, aired Sunday, May 4, with the Palace Hotel and a section of Commercial Street, with Scotiabank, Funk Revival and Fascinating Rhythm, providing the backdrop for some scenes.
The downtown core was transformed into post-apocalyptic Seattle in May of last year for a week of filming.
The Palace's awning made it into the episode, something that pleased owner Ankit Parmar, who watched the episode.
"If you could see, they hid everything, changed everything in the city, just not the Palace and Evolve," Parmar told the News Bulletin. "They both kept the names, because they liked the [exterior] of the building. We were excited, so that's why we gave them the opportunity 香蕉视频直播� We'll be on TV. It will be good for Nanaimo."
Mayor Leonard Krog got to tour the set last spring and was introduced to Ramsey, whom he remembered from Game of Thrones, another HBO hit series. He had a quick chat after the scene in front of the Palace.
"They took me over to introduce me to her, and I looked at her because I wasn't conscious of the series, and I just said, 'Oh my God, it's you!'" said Krog. "I shook her hand, and she was just as gracious and lovely and modest as you could possibly imagine, for someone who has became a star, and is a star."
Parmar said he was not allowed at his establishment the day of shooting, but was able to look around prior to that and was surprised with Commercial Street's conversion.
"I've seen season one as well and I knew what they were going to do and especially with the tanks and everything, the cars, it was pretty cool," he said.
Joan Miller, Vancouver Island North Film Commission executive director, said she is bound by a non-disclosure agreement and can't speak about the production, but did say the region continues to draw interest as a filming location.
"We have been participating with B.C. Film Commission, scouting on some major productions they're hoping to land in British Columbia, and we did have them on the ground in our region and it actually was the Nanaimo [and] mid-Island region we were scouting," she said.
Miller said that just-announced tariffs on non-American filmed productions by the United States will have no impact on the Island's TV and movie industry in the short-term.
"President Trump's announcement of new tariffs on productions shot outside of the U.S. is still a big unknown as to how that will work, but it will not affect the domestic production workflow we have slated to film in our region over the next six months 香蕉视频直播� many of the locals who live in Nanaimo will find work on projects that will shoot mid-Island, Powell River or over on the west coast this summer," said Miller.
Krog hopes the film and TV industry continues to grow locally.
"It's not like you're ripping coal out of the ground or having to destroy a forest or log a forest which upsets people, or do any of those things," he said. "You have an industry that comes to town, uses accommodation, buys restaurant food, etc. It's a wonderful economic driver."
Speaking to the media on Monday, May 5, B.C. Premier David Eby said The Last of Us will return to B.C. for its third season and FX series Shogun is set to film in the province as well.
