In hugely disappointing news, it seems like Eric Stonestreet has accepted that the Modern Family spinoff focusing on Cameron, Mitchell (Jesse Tyler Ferguson), and their daughter Lily (Aubrey Anderson-Emmons) is unlikely to happen now, despite his initial enthusiasm for the project. The spinoff would have explored the Tucker-Pritchett family’s life in Missouri, where Cam would have pursued his dream of becoming a college football coach. Both Stonestreet and Ferguson were hopeful about the project, but ultimately, the decision not to move forward left them feeling hurt. Speaking to Graham Bensinger, Stonestreet lamented that the opportunity had been missed.
“I don’t think it’s potential anymore. They had their chance. [Series co-creator]
Chris Lloyd
and a couple of the writers wrote a really great script that spun Jesse and I off in our life in Missouri, and they said, ‘No.’ They just said, ‘We don’t want to do it.’ I love my character. I love the show. I love Jesse. We had a great working relationship, we had amazing chemistry. I think Jesse and I maybe felt like they thought of us as the old guys, or something like that, that didn’t seem worthy of keeping those characters going. It felt a little hurtful. But people make business decisions.”
For Stonestreet, it’s truly a missed opportunity. Modern Family is a mega hit series which continues to shine in syndication, years after it concluded. Fans would have flocked to it, in Stonestreet’s opinion, similar to a series like Young Sheldon, which similarly followed up a hugely successful sitcom.
Eric Stonestreet Thinks a ‘Modern Family’ Spin-Off Would Have Been a “Slam Dunk”
“I think it would have been a slam dunk. I don’t think it would have not been successful,” said Stonestreet. “Because you had one of the creators — who had really taken such great care of making sure that show was great for so long — willing to do it. We had the right people in place. It would have been great. If ABC would have said ‘Let’s do it,’ I think we’d be on right now.”
Fans of Modern Family shouldn’t give up too much hope. For many, where there’s a will, there’s a way, and Stonestreet is still keen to get the band back together, even if it’s just a one off. The actor added that he’d love to do a Christmas special reunion, so this year, when you write to Santa, you know exactly what you need to ask for.
Modern Family is streaming on Peacock. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
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