Nick Offerman confirms The Last of Us prequel has been pitched to HBO
Every good TV series has an episode that stands out. Breaking Bad has "Ozymandias", Game of Thrones has "The Rains of Castamere", and Lost has "The Constant". It was hard to pick the best episode from Season 1 of HBO's The Last of Us, but for many, it was the tear-jerking "Long, Long Time."
While the characters of Bill and Frank appear in Naughty Dog's 2013 game of the same name, series co-creator Craig Mazin and Director Peter Hoar took two relatively minor characters and dedicated 75 minutes to their tragic love story. It was an award-winning hit, but do we really need to revisit the story?
Nick Offerman confirms Bill and Frank prequel has been pitched
Click to enlargeFresh off the back of winning Outstanding Guest Actor for his portrayal of Bill at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards, the Parks and Rec favourite confirms that a prequel series has been pitched to HBO. As a refresher, "Long, Long Time" jumped through the years, showing how Bill and Frank became unlikely survivors of the Cordyceps infection.
Speaking to Deadline, Offerman was asked whether he and Bartlett could return in Season 2 via flashback. The star explained, "Oh, great question but I would have to ask somebody with a higher pay grade than myself. It certainly has been pitched."
More than just a one-off return for the star-crossed lovers, Offerman continued, "I think we pitched a whole mini-series of a prequel of their lives before they met each other. It could be a musical. We're not short on ideas. We'll just we'll see what Craig [Mazin] and Neil [Druckmann] come up with."
It's unclear how much of this is Offerman joking, but either way, the idea of already rolling out the prequel and spin-off bandwagon for such a beloved IP is sure to rattle a few cages. The Last of Us community is notoriously reactive, and trust us, that's one fan base you don't want to p*ss off.
Leave Bill and Frank alone
Click to enlargeIt's true that Offerman and Bartlett were two of the best in an already competitive galaxy of stars that graced The Last of Us Season 1, but is that enough to return to them? "Long, Long Time" took some major liberties with the source material, but for many, hit a perfect ending that had everyone reaching for the tissues.
It would be possible to revisit Bill and Frank's time together to flesh out stories like the scavengers who attacked them, or a chance to bring back the amazing Anna Torv as Tess, but what's the point? Although prequels like Better Call Saul have been major hits, they're a rare breed.
Some said the same about House of the Dragon being a prequel to Game of Thrones, but that was set over a century before the events of the main show. Like we're revisiting the world of A Quiet Place with its Day One prequel, any TLOU prequel should probably focus on a new crop of characters. Please HBO, don't let greed take over from sense.
