Feature writer Zak Penn — known for The Avengers, Ready Player One, and Free Guy — has teamed up with The Big Bang Theory creators Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady to develop the new spinoff series, Stuart Fails to Save the Universe.
In a statement released on July 9, Lorre explained his motivation behind the project:
“I wanted to do something radical that would take me out of my comfort zone. Something the characters on The Big Bang Theory would have loved, hated, and argued about.”
Prady echoed the excitement, adding:
“The process of writing this show with Chuck and Zak has been damn fun, and I’m certain that joy will come through the screen. Putting characters we loved from The Big Bang Theory into a complex science-fiction story—with the kind of mythology those characters adore—while keeping the comedic elements intact, is incredibly satisfying.”
Penn, true to his signature wit, delivered a more imaginative take on how the project came together:
“I was on a vision quest in the most remote parts of the Amazon Rainforest when a carrier pigeon arrived with a note from Chuck Lorre, asking if I wanted to help make a show the Big Bang Theory characters would watch. I couldn’t resist the idea, so I packed up my yurt and caught the next dirigible out.
At the same time, Chuck sent an expedition to locate Bill Prady, who had been frozen with his shield across his chest in a block of arctic ice. Once the team assembled, we set out to create this insane show that lives in a universe built by Chuck and Bill. I couldn’t be more honored to be working with these amazing people.”
