{"id":2495241,"date":"2026-07-09T16:56:21","date_gmt":"2026-07-09T16:56:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2495241"},"modified":"2026-07-09T16:56:21","modified_gmt":"2026-07-09T16:56:21","slug":"paul-w-downs-shoots-down-hacks-spinoff-centered-on-fan-favorites-jimmy-and-kayla-not-happening","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/paul-w-downs-shoots-down-hacks-spinoff-centered-on-fan-favorites-jimmy-and-kayla-not-happening\/","title":{"rendered":"Paul W. Downs shoots down \u201cHacks\u201d spinoff centered on fan favorites Jimmy and Kayla: \u2018Not happening\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div data-article-body=\"true\" data-body-type=\"bodyblocks\">\n<h3 class=\"mb-4 text-lg font-bold\">Key Points<\/h3>\n<ul class=\"mb-4\">\n<li class=\"ml-4 safari:ml-6 list-disc\">\n<div>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Paul W. Downs says that a <em>Hacks<\/em> spinoff centered on Jimmy and Kayla is &#8220;not happening.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ml-4 safari:ml-6 list-disc\">\n<div>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The star and co-creator wants to leave the story as they did with the recent series finale.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ml-4 safari:ml-6 list-disc\">\n<div>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Downs and costar Megan Stalter are both Emmy-nominated for their performances.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Hacks;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/hacks\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\"><em>Hacks<\/em><\/a> star and co-creator Paul W. Downs is closing the door on a spinoff for him and fellow fan favorite Megan Stalter.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Downs&#8217; Jimmy LuSaque Jr. and Stalter&#8217;s Kayla Schaefer became one of TV&#8217;s funniest duos over the HBO Max comedy&#8217;s five-season run, which concluded in May. Given the critical and awards success, the idea of a continuation seems like a natural thought, and yet, when asked about the possibility of a Jimmy and Kayla spinoff, Downs says it&#8217;s &#8220;not happening.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;We feel so happy with how it ended, and we are so happy with how people have reacted to the finale of the show,&#8221; he explained to <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Variety;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/2026\/tv\/news\/hacks-spinoff-will-never-happen-1236804951\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\"><em>Variety<\/em><\/a>. &#8220;For that reason, it&#8217;s something that we want to leave [as is]. I&#8217;ve never definitively said that, but I&#8217;m definitively saying that.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Downs continued, &#8220;The reason is that the story has been very important to us; we pitched its ending from the beginning. Because we were able to end it in the way that we did, it feels like something we do not want to change in any way. We want it to exist the way it did.&#8221;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-0 size-full\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-3 right-3 rounded-full bg-primary p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-primary\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" class=\"flex-none size-4 -scale-x-100 text-primary lg:size-6 [&amp;_path]:fill-current\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M3.1 3.1V11h1.8V6.314l5.392 5.393 1.415-1.414L6.313 4.9H11V3.1zm17.8 17.8V13h-1.8v4.686l-5.393-5.393-1.415 1.414 5.393 5.393H13v1.8z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed bottom-0 left-0 right-0 top-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-primary hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p><i>Megan Stalter, Hannah Einbinder, Mark Indelicato, Jean Smart, and Paul W. Downs on &#8216;Hacks&#8217;<br \/>Credit: Courtesy of HBO Max<\/i><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Co-created by Downs, Lucia Aniello, and Jen Statsky, <em>Hacks<\/em> starred Jean Smart as Deborah Vance, a legendary stand-up comedian whose life is changed by a new, millennial collaborator, Ava (Hannah Einbinder). While Deborah and Ava were the heart of the series, Downs and Stalter quickly began stealing scenes as Deborah&#8217;s loyal manager Jimmy and Jimmy&#8217;s even more loyal assistant and eventual business partner Kayla, respectively.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><strong><em>Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our <\/em><\/strong><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:EW Dispatch newsletter;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/ew-dispatch-newsletter-11812417\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\"><strong><em>EW Dispatch newsletter<\/em><\/strong><\/a><strong><em>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The series finale concluded with Jimmy and Kayla taking over as the heads of Latitude, the management company founded by their fathers. The episode also found Ava shooting the pilot for a reboot of Deborah&#8217;s beloved sitcom, <em>Who&#8217;s Making Dinner<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Since the finale, Einbinder has casually mentioned that the creator trio told her what would happen in a movie, which they have no plans to make.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;It wouldn&#8217;t be so far in the future. It would be a little bit of a jump,&#8221; <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Aniello told;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/hacks-creators-on-crafting-emotional-finale-twist-with-jean-smart-11986146\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Aniello told <\/a><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Entertainment Weekly;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/hacks-creators-on-crafting-emotional-finale-twist-with-jean-smart-11986146\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\"><em>Entertainment Weekly<\/em><\/a>. &#8220;How about we say this: It turns out <em>Who&#8217;s Making Dinner<\/em> is a hit.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Downs&#8217; comments on his lack of interest in building out the show&#8217;s universe came on the same day that <em>Hacks<\/em> made Emmy history. With <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:24 nominations;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/emmy-nominations-2026-full-list-12013543\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">24 nominations<\/a>, <em>Hacks <\/em>season 5 is the most nominated season of a comedy ever. Among the recognition was the first career nomination for Stalter and a second Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series nod for Downs, who&#8217;s also nominated as a producer and for co-writing the finale with Aniello and Statsky.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Read the original article on <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Entertainment Weekly;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/paul-w-downs-shoots-down-hacks-spinoff-on-jimmy-kayla-12015076\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Entertainment Weekly<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.yahoo.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Points Paul W. Downs says that a Hacks spinoff centered on Jimmy and Kayla is &#8220;not happening.&#8221; The star and co-creator wants to leave the story as they did with the recent series finale. Downs and costar Megan Stalter are both Emmy-nominated for their performances. Hacks star and co-creator Paul W. Downs is closing [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2495242,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25172],"tags":[326906,372062,309640,491402,373957,491401,372061,365666,337028],"class_list":["post-2495241","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment","tag-deborah-vance","tag-jen-statsky","tag-jimmy","tag-jimmy-lusaque-jr","tag-kayla","tag-kayla-schaefer","tag-lucia-aniello","tag-megan-stalter","tag-paul-w-downs"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Paul-W-Downs-shoots-down-Hacks-spinoff-centered-on-fan.com2Fen2Fentertainment_weekly_7852F81790da592934dd13f19972c62aedc16.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2495241","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2495241"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2495241\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2495243,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2495241\/revisions\/2495243"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2495242"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2495241"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2495241"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2495241"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}