- Outer Banks showrunners Josh Pate, Jonas Pate, and Shannon Burke are reportedly working on a script for a prequel series set 20 years before the Pogues’ adventures.
- The prequel will allegedly explore how Kildare Island split into the wealthy Kooks and working-class Pogues, examining the historical social and economic divide that shaped the main series' central conflict.
- Though Netflix hasn’t fully confirmed or denied that the prequel series is happening, showrunners tease that it will feature some recognizable character families alongside new characters.
The fifth and final season of Outer Banks may be upon us, but that doesn’t mean we have to say goodbye to the gang just yet. According to a new report from Deadline, showrunners Josh Pate, Jonas Pate, and Shannon Burke are gearing up to drop major OBX lore in a prequel series set 20 years before the Pogues embarked on a tumultuous journey to find historical fortunes and lost relics.
Josh, Jonas, and Shannon have been teasing a potential prequel series for a minute now, but the outlet’s sources suggest it may actually become a reality after season 5 hits the streamer.
“We’re working on the script,” Josh said of the prequel, also known as Kildare. “We’re working hard on it with our awesome partners from Netflix, and we’re just trying to get all of it as good as it can be.”
The new addition to the franchise is set to “explore the origins of Kildare’s deep social divide” between the Pogues and Kooks. As for what the script entails, Josh claims, “It really is the story of how the island split—and it’s particularly relevant in our country right now—how it split into the haves and have-nots, how the Kooks and the Pogues started. How did this rift start?”
Because the new show takes place before characters like John B, Sarah, Kie, JJ, Pope, Cleo, and Rafe were even a thought, Shannon reveals it will follow their “parents’ generation” before the great Pogues vs. Kooks divide existed. Because of this, she reveals Kildare will be “seen through the stories of some of the characters you know and some new characters.”
Because of the timeline, we likely won’t see fan-favorite cast members like Drew Starkey, Madelyn Cline, and Carlacia Grant return to the OBX universe.
While a rep for Netflix declined to comment for the Deadline report, it’s important to note that Jonas Pate had previously discussed the likelihood of a prequel in two separate interviews with Wilmington’s Port City Daily in 2023 and 2024.
As we hold out to see if Netflix actually picks up and announces the project, at least we have a whole new batch of episodes to dive into when Outer Banks season 5 drops on August 20.
