Last of Us Season 3 set photos leak

The leak is basically a first real look at what HBO wants Season 3 of *The Last of Us* to feel like. Not just “more post-apocalypse,” but Abby-and-Lev post-apocalypse — armed, moving together, and already framed like a central duo. Fresh photos and short video from filming in downtown Vancouver show Kaitlyn Dever and Kyriana Kratter in costume as Abby and Lev, walking through a ruined Seattle setup and appearing to prepare for a gunfight. ### What actually leaked? The material making the rounds comes from on-set photos and clips taken during filming on Sunday, May 11, in Vancouver, which the production is using as dystopian Seattle. You can see Dever’s Abby with a rifle and Kratter’s Lev with a bow, plus footage of the two moving through the street together before what looks like a break-in or combat setup. (screenrant.com) ### Why are Abby and Lev the big deal? Because this pairing is the emotional engine of the back half of *The Last of Us Part II*. In the game, Abby starts as the character many players resist, then Lev becomes the relationship that reframes her. So when the first notable Season 3 leak centers on those two together — not Abby alone — it’s a pretty loud signal about what HBO thinks the season is really selling. That part is an inference, but it fits both the source material and the footage. (screenrant.com) ### Is this just random set dressing? Probably not. The weapons matter. Abby’s rifle and Lev’s bow are not generic props tossed into a background shot — they suggest a sequence where the two are already operating as a unit. Earlier Season 3 photos from late March also showed them filming rooftop material in Vancouver, so this looks less like a one-off cameo and more like a sustained block of Abby/Lev story production. (screenrant.com) ### Why is Lev’s casting part of the conversation? Because HBO’s choice to cast Kyriana Kratter triggered immediate backlash from some fans. Lev is a transgender boy in the game, and criticism focused on HBO casting a cis girl in the role. That debate didn’t start with these new photos, but the leak throws it back into view because this is the clearest public look yet at Kratter’s version of the character in action. (comingsoon.net) ### What does this say about Season 3’s structure? The big thing is perspective. Season 2 ended with the story set up to pivot, and trade coverage plus production reporting around Season 3 has consistently pointed to Abby as the lead focus this time. HBO renewed the show for a third season in April 2025, before Season 2 even premiered, and current reporting around production says filming began in March 2026 in British Columbia with Abby’s side of the Seattle story at the center. (kotaku.com) ### Why are fans split on these photos? Because Abby is still the show’s hardest sell. The whole trick of *Part II* is that it asks you to spend a huge amount of time inside the perspective of someone many viewers initially hate. That can work brilliantly — but only if the adaptation earns the switch. So the leak sparked both excitement from game fans who know where Abby and Lev are headed and skepticism from people who still aren’t sure they want a season built around that pivot. (en.wikipedia.org) ### Does this reveal any release timing? Not really beyond the broad window. The useful takeaway is that filming is active now, in May 2026, and multiple outlets tracking production expect a 2027 release rather than anything sooner. So these photos are less “trailer season” and more “proof the machine is moving.” (pushsquare.com) ### Bottom line The leak matters because it turns an abstract promise — “Season 3 will focus on Abby” — into something concrete. HBO is already shooting Abby and Lev as a combat pair in Seattle. If that relationship lands, Season 3 works. If it doesn’t, the whole structural gamble gets a lot harder to defend. (screenrant.com) (hollywoodnorthbuzz.com)