A new Big Bang Theory spin-off, Stuart Fails to Save the Universe, has officially been ordered to series by the recently rebranded streaming service HBO Max.

Kevin Sussman returns as comic book store owner Stuart Bloom, a role he played for eleven seasons on The Big Bang Theory. He'll be joined by a group of familiar faces from the original series: Lauren Lapkus (Denise), Brian Posehn (Bert), and John Ross Bowie (Kripke).

The new show is executive produced by TBBT co-creators Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady along with screenwriter Zak Penn (Ready Player One, Free Guy), and comes from Chuck Lorre Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television.

HBO Max first announced over two years ago that Lorre was developing a project "derived from" The Big Bang Theory. Significant updates followed late last year, with Prady and Penn joining as co-writers and the casting of Sussman, Lapkus and Posehn. Bowie joined the cast earlier this year, while the title Stuart Fails to Save the Universe was unveiled in March.

As Lorre previously shared, the new series blends science fiction and fantasy with comedy and will feature "a lot of CGI", a notable departure from his multi-camera shows like The Big Bang Theory or even the single-camera Young Sheldon.

According to the official logline, "Comic book store owner Stuart Bloom is tasked with restoring reality after he breaks a device built by Sheldon and Leonard, accidentally bringing about a multiverse Armageddon. Stuart is aided in this quest by his girlfriend Denise, geologist friend Bert, and quantum physicist/all-around pain in the ass Barry Kripke. Along the way, they meet alternate-universe versions of characters we've come to know and love from The Big Bang Theory. As the title implies, things don't go well."

As the premise suggests, original cast members from The Big Bang Theory are expected to appear in guest roles as alternate versions of their characters.

Discussing the new series, Chuck Lorre said, "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 added, "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 that those characters love while maintaining the comedic elements is incredibly satisfying."

Stuart Fails to Save the Universe is the fourth show in the Big Bang Theory universe, following the original series (2007-2019), the prequel Young Sheldon (2017-2024), and its own spin-off Georgie and Mandy's First Marriage (2024-present).

HBO Max did not reveal when Stuart Fails to Save the Universe will begin production or will be released.