You Won’t Believe How They Built The Iconic Museum and Space Capsule in The Last of Us Season 2!

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⚠️ WARNING: This tale reveals plot points from Season 2, Episode 6 of the HBO series “The Last of Us,” currently available on Max.

(I’ve tried to make it more conversational and less formal while still maintaining the original intent.)

Production designer Don Macaulay reminisces about a touching moment during the filming of “The Last of Us,” where Neil Druckmann, the director for this week’s flashback episode featuring Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey), was seen wandering around the interior set of the museum of natural history.

Macaulay shares that it’s fascinating since he has been exposed and interacted with these things digitally for such a prolonged period that they appear dreamlike to him. He explains this to EbMaster, adding that it’s gratifying because he used to share images of the game with its creators, making it particularly satisfying.

In this particular installment, Macaulay and his companions recognized the importance of adhering to the game’s rules. Although Season 2 has delved into grim cycles of violence and retribution, this episode offers a unique peek into heartwarming interactions between Joel and Ellie as they traverse the Wyoming natural history museum with innocent excitement. For a moment, all other aspects of their lives become inconsequential.

Initially, as shooting occurred in Vancouver, it became necessary to locate a forest area that could plausibly represent Wyoming’s landscape. Despite being accustomed to portraying “nature reclaiming” spaces in this season’s Seattle setting, transitioning to Wyoming necessitated a change in strategy. As he explains, “We assume the roof has collapsed and there’s been significant growth over the years.

The team acquired a robust animatronic dinosaur from China, designed to withstand stunts during scenes where Ellie is atop it. Additionally, they constructed a bridge crossing over a local creek, while special effects were utilized to depict the museum’s exterior on screen.

As Ellie and Joel initially enter, they find themselves enveloped in darkness, but soon enough, the shimmering walls create an impression of drifting through the cosmos. To achieve this sensation, Macaulay’s team conducted numerous lighting trials with different paints to determine what would best catch the light.

In the end, he explains, we covered the entire hallway in black velvet. On a spontaneous decision, one of my team members picked up a multitude of glittering imitation diamonds from a dollar store. So, what we essentially did was adorn that hallway with a million tiny artificial diamonds.”

Or, more colloquially:

“He said we ended up covering the whole hallway in black velvet. My team member got this crazy idea to grab a bunch of fake diamonds from a dollar store. So, we basically covered the hallway in a million little sparkly fakes.

As I stepped into the solar system room, I couldn’t help but be impressed by the intricate details. Peering curiously, I noticed that each planet was designed to move in a circular orbit, mirroring the real celestial bodies. Macaulay, with his keen eye for detail, explained that while it might not be apparent from the footage, every planet is carefully geared so they rotate at the correct speed around the sun, maintaining an accurate representation of our solar system.

According to Macaulay’s explanation, the space capsule turned out to be the most difficult element to replicate, as it was filmed on an entirely separate set. In this particular sequence, Ellie and Joel are shown entering the capsule and envisioning a space journey side by side.

He explains that the project turned out to be quite intricate, so they constructed a mini 3D printed replica for easier manipulation. Subsequently, they developed a life-size foam model where people could install the seats and windows. They also experimented with large LED screens outside the windows for additional insights. However, in the end, they opted for blue screens for the final design.

The process of finding and gathering every panel, chair, and light used to create the spaceship-like capsule, which took a significant amount of time and careful planning, was the most laborious aspect of that scene. However, assembling it all turned out to be surprisingly swift, according to Macaulay.

In the museum sequence, Macaulay and his team aimed to replicate the scene from the Season 2 trailer where Ellie and Joel gaze at the capsule with ivy streaming through the skylight. They wanted this moment to be as authentic as possible to the game, according to Macaulay.

In general, the series largely adheres to the original game, but some eagle-eyed fans may spot an omission: the dinosaur exhibit that Macaulay mentioned as “full of moss, water droplets, and various shades of green,” was unfortunately eliminated from the final production.

Macaulay mentioned that the dinosaur exhibits weren’t as massive as those in the game, but there were approximately six to seven life-sized dinosaur skeletons on display, looking a bit oversized. Additionally, a gift cart had tipped over. It was there where Ellie found her hat,” Macaulay explains. “We constructed something around 20 feet tall, and it was predominantly painted blue for aesthetic reasons. However, we didn’t get to complete the project fully.

In Episode 6, the narrative structure is crucial because it signifies the last time Pascal portrays Joel in the series, offering insights into why Ellie and Joel’s bond was strained during the first episode of Season 2. To emphasize this, Macaulay and Druckmann endeavored to make the scenes in the museum emotionally resonant. As Ellie and Joel embark on their space journey for one last adventure, their bond is sealed forever by this moment of raw, unadulterated happiness.

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2025-05-19 23:48