The Last of Us showrunner has the final say on a Bill and Frank spin-off

gamesradar.com:

The Last of Us showrunner Craig Mazin has confirmed that no Bill and Frank spin-off is on the way. Rumors of a prequel series featuring the beloved characters began circling when Nick Offerman made some interesting comments at the Creative Emmys.

After winning for his performance as the gruff Bill in the video game adaptation, he suggested a spin-off had been pitched. "I think we pitched a whole mini-series of a prequel of their lives before they met each other," he said backstage to Deadline. "It could be a musical. We’re not short on ideas. We’ll just we’ll see what Craig and Neil come up with."

However, it turns out that the funnyman was actually joking when he shared the comments, as Mazin has now clarified. At the HBO post-Emmy party, Mazin told Deadline: "I’m very proud of the episode we did with Bill and Frank. There won’t be more Bill and Frank." Speaking about Offerman’s comments, he added: "Nick was joking about a prequel, that was kind of a joke. We are very happy with what we achieved."

The Bill and Frank story, which aired as the third episode of season one, was one of the standout moments of the opening season. Building upon a small story in games, the heartbreaking episode fleshed out the two characters, their love story, and their ultimate death in the post-apocalyptic world. Our review called it a "gut-punch of a chapter" that "fleshes out one of the game's most overlooked characters". 

The Last of Us season 2 is gearing up to begin filming, with plenty of new cast members announced. Abby will be played by Kaitlyn Dever, Jesse by Beef star Young Mazino, and Dina brought to life by Isabela Merced. 

For more, check out our guide to all the new TV shows on the way in 2024.