Looks like we will have to wait longer for a spinoff based on the sassiest salesman of Dunder Mifflin, Inc.
Leslie David Baker, who played the lovable but sassy Stanley Hudson from the mockumentary sitcom ‘The Office’, has returned all of the fans’ donations from Kickstarter that aims to fund a spinoff series based on the character. The exact donation amounted to $110,629.81, according to Baker.
Back in 2020, while everybody was rewatching ‘The Office’ non-stop while in quarantine, Baker launched a Kickstarter campaign that aims to create a spinoff based on his character in the series. The project was named ‘Uncle Stan’ and centers on his character traveling to LA to help his nephew on a motorcycle/flower shop business. The campaign earned a total of $336,450, surpassing the target of $300,000.
Three years forward, avid fans of ‘The Office’ asked Baker where is the spinoff and where the money went. Baker responded in a statement that he will return the money donated amid delays caused by the pandemic and the ongoing strikes in Hollywood.
“We apologize about the delay in updates,” Baker wrote in a statement. “We have been working behind the scenes to get everything on track and rewards fulfilled. We are just as excited as all of you to get this project out and truly appreciate all of your patience and support. The project took longer than anticipated due to circumstances beyond our control.”
“Initial delays were caused because of the COVID lockdowns and pushed us back further than expected,” he explained. “As things started returning to normal and we commenced reward fulfillment and preproduction, the WGA strike was announced causing us to put things on hold again. As you are all aware, SAG is now on strike and we will continue to be on hold indefinitely until an agreement is reached. We stand in solidarity with those in the entertainment industry and will do our part in supporting WGA and SAG during these times.”
While still considering the production of the spin-off series, Baker still did return the money that the backers gave to him.
Stanley Hudson isn’t the only ‘The Office’ character that was up for a spin-off. Way back in 2013, a ‘The Farm’ spin-off for Rainn Wilson’s Dwight Schrute character was considered as a backdoor pilot prior to the series ending. The series centers on Dwight and his zany family members on a farm they own. But NBC rejected the said spin-off.
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