The Pearsons’ story on NBC is coming to an end… but is it for good? While the sixth and final season of This Is Us premiered this week, there’s already been questions about extending the series in some way or continuing some of the characters’ stories in a spinoff series somewhere down the road. But what about a movie? One of the Big Three actors seemed totally on board with the idea of taking the characters to the big screen.
Justin Hartley plays Kevin on This Is Us, who is one of Jack and Rebecca Pearson’s triplets. Kate (played by Chrissy Metz) and Randall (Sterling K. Brown), whose biological father left him at a fire station the night Kevin and Kate were born, round out the Big Three, and Hartley had an interesting idea when speaking to Access Hollywood about the possibility of continuing the franchise.
A This Is Us movie? I mean yeah, sure. I know six other actors that would do the movie, probably. Yeah, I think we could probably pull that off. I’m down for a This Is Us movie, sure. I love these cats. I would do a trilogy movie, I really would. I would do a movie every year with these guys.
A movie trilogy is an interesting idea, as theoretically, each movie could focus in on one member of the Big Three and delve deeper into the nuances of their lives. As a viewer, however, I'm really hoping that creator Dan Fogelman hits most of the highlights we need to see when he wraps up the series. But even six seasons in, Fogelman has continued to find ways to surprise fans and take our beloved Pearsons down roads never imagined, such as the revelation that Kate will marry her co-worker Phillip.
One option that has been discussed, albeit in a very unofficial capacity, is a spinoff series that would follow a character or characters other than the Big Three. Randall’s daughters – Tess, Annie, and Deja – for instance would be amazing to explore in their own series, or Toby and Kate’s son Jack, who is blind and appears in a This Is Us flash-forward to be a famous musician. Or, Justin Hartley had another idea, which he tweeted during the Season 6 premiere.
#ThisIsUs may be in its final season, but what about #TheManny spinoff?... cc: @dan_fogelmanJanuary 5, 2022
Sterling K. Brown, for his part, has said that while he is excited at the opportunities that await him post-Randall Pearson, any spinoff project involving This Is Us creator Dan Fogelman would be worth his consideration.
For now, any wishes about prolonging the Pearsons’ journey may just be fans' grief manifesting into pipe dreams, but the world of the show really does seem big enough that there would be possibilities for something in the future. I'll cross my fingers and wait to see what happens, but for now, fans can just enjoy the Season 6 ride. This Is Us airs at 9 p.m. Tuesdays on NBC. Be sure to check out our 2022 TV Schedule to see what other shows are coming in the near future.
