Chuck Lorre gave an update on Stuart Fails to Save the Universe, the Big Bang Theory spin-off currently in development for HBO Max, during a panel at the Banff World Media Festival on Monday, Variety reports.

The show, which has yet to be officially picked up, sees Kevin Sussman reprise his role as comic book store owner Stuart Bloom. He’ll be joined by a roster of recurring Big Bang Theory actors: Brian Posehn as Caltech geologist Bert Kibbler, Lauren Lapkus as Stuart’s co-worker Denise, and John Ross Bowie as Barry Kripke, a physicist at Caltech and frenemy of the guys.

Speaking at the festival in Alberta, Canada, Lorre signaled that Stuart Fails to Save The Universe will be a significant departure from his earlier multi-camera sitcoms, including The Big Bang Theory, and the single-camera Young Sheldon, thanks to its heavy use of CGI. Lorre joked that in his career, a big production number was “two people sitting on a couch, drinking coffee”. In contrast, the new show will blend comedy with elements of science fiction and fantasy, drawing inspiration from its comic book store setting.

Lorre also revealed that he and his writing partners, fellow Big Bang Theory co-creator Bill Prady and screenwriter Zak Penn (Ready Player One, Free Guy), have already written ten episodes of the show, even though the show has not yet been greenlit.

The project has been in development since at least April 2023, though it saw little progress that year as Hollywood writers and actors took to the picket lines. The casting of Sussman, Posehn and Lapkus was confirmed in October 2024, while Lorre’s writing partnership with Prady and Penn was reported in December. Bowie’s casting was announced in February of this year, while the title Stuart Fails to Save the Universe was revealed back in March.

During the show’s development, the streaming platform originally launched as HBO Max was rebranded as Max in May 2023. However, last month, it was announced that the platform would revert to its original HBO Max name later this year. Just this week, parent company Warner Bros. Discovery announced it would be splitting into two companies - one company containing Warner Bros. streaming and studios, the other managing global cable networks, many of which were Discovery properties before the 2022 merger.

At the Banff festival, Lorre also spoke about the enduring popularity of The Big Bang Theory, its prequel Young Sheldon, and Young Sheldon's own spin-off Georgie and Mandy's First Marriage. “These shows that we worked so hard on for so many years that we were so determined to make meaningful and funny at that same time, they seem to be sustaining over time, which is incredibly gratifying,” he said.

Lorre also commented on the standalone success of Young Sheldon. “I meet people all the time who enjoy Young Sheldon and never watched The Big Bang Theory. They didn’t even know it was a prequel, which is incredibly gratifying, because, when Steven Molaro and I started doing that, the hope was that it would stand on its own. That it would not be leaning against this 12 years of this other series. And it did, it became its own series, its own ensemble. That’s immensely gratifying.”