An armed Alberta teen shut down The Last of Us production last year

The Olds, Alberta production of HBO‘s The Last of Us faced a major scare last year when an armed man was spotted in a nearby apartment building.

Speaking to a Calgary judge earlier this week, series producers testified that on June 1st, 2022, a costume assistant noticed a pointed rifle through a second-floor window and warned the head of security. Production was then shut down and cast and crew members, including stars Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, were ushered to safety.

The man in question, then-18-year-old Reece Wadden, was later discovered to have been holding an airsoft gun, not an actual rifle. Wadden claims he didn’t intend to harm anyone and was simply using the scope to get a better look at the set. Nonetheless, prosecutor Alyx Nanji says his actions resulted in around 300 cast and crew members taking cover for about 90 minutes until RCMP arrived to clear the scene, costing the production $54,000 USD (about $75,000 CAD) in salaries for actors and support crew.

Wadden now faces three charges of mischief, unlawful use of an imitation firearm to commit mischief and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose.

The Last of Us is now streaming on Crave in Canada.

Image credit: HBO

Via: The Calgary Herald