The Last of Us guest star Nick Offerman has confirmed there are ideas for a potential spin-off prequel series focused on the fan-favourite characters Bill and Frank.
Offerman picked up his first Emmy Award over the weekend, taking home a gold statuette for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for his performance as Bill in the third episode of HBO's The Last of Us. Backstage at the event, the actor suggested it might not be the last we have seen of his beloved character.
"It certainly has been pitched. I think we pitched a whole mini-series of a prequel of their lives before they meet each other," Offerman asserted, per THR, before he jokingly quipped, "It could be a musical," adding, "We're not short on ideas. We'll just see what [co-creators] Craig [Mazin] and Neil [Druckmann] come up with."
Nick Offerman says he’s pitched a musical prequel for his #TheLastofUs storyline with Murray Bartlett, following his Creative Arts #Emmys win pic.twitter.com/myS0L2Yvl9
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) January 7, 2024
Offerman received heaps of praise for his portrayal of Bill in The Last of Us, with the third episode, titled "Long, Long Time," touted as one of the series' best entries for telling a fully-fleshed out love story of such an unlikely pair, as Bill meets and develops a relationship with Frank, played by fellow Emmy nominee Murray Bartlett.
Following his win at the Emmys, Offerman said he would be up for reprising the role again if given the opportunity. "Oh sure," he said about the prospect of playing Bill again. "I was lucky this time. They needed a guy who could use a shovel. Three of us in Hollywood, Harrison Ford passed, and Jane Lynch was not available."
The Last of Us showrunner Craig Mazin previously said he is open to the idea of expanding the series' post-apocalyptic world so long as any potential spin-offs make sense and receive the same care as the flagship show. However, he is pouring all his time and energy into the "main narrative" heading into the next season.
Season 2 of The Last of Us will debut on Max in 2025, though Mazin has indicated Part II will take "more than a season's worth of television", implying they will split the sequel into two or more seasons, which will be a big difference from the show's hugely successful first season, which told the entire story of the original game.
It's hard to predict, but IGN has had a go at plotting a rough outline of the upcoming second season.
Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on X @AdeleAnkers.
