Ozark creator Chris Mundy joined cast members in speculating on fan theories surrounding the show Netflix drama’s final moments – as well as discussing the idea of a movie.
The discussion took place as part of the show’s FYC event in Los Angeles on Sunday (June 5). US talk show host Jimmy Kimmel moderated and interviewed Mundy, as well as leading actors Jason Bateman and Julia Garner, editor Cindy Mollo, production designer David Bomba, music supervisor Gabe Hilfer, and cinematographer Shawn Kim.
Asked about the theory that Jonah (Skylar Gaertner), the son of Marty and Wendy Byrde (Jason Bateman and Laura Linney), destroyed some crucial incriminating evidence, Mundy said he thought the ending was “pretty unambiguous”, adding: “I think he shot Mel [the cop], and Mel is dead. And I think they went to their crematorium, just off screen.”
Kimmel jokingly added: “I’m glad you’re not playing coy about this [like] ‘Well, that’s for you, the viewer, to decide,’ and then 14 years later you go ‘Yeah, that’s what happened.’”
Bateman, who also directed the episode, said the gun the young man was holding “was probably a buckshot too, so the cookie jar went down as well. There’s a lot of spray on that.”
The conversation later turned to potential spin-offs, with playful titles including Meet The Byrdes and Byrde Watching.
Asked what he thinks the characters will be doing five years from the finale, Mundy speculated that the Byrde family will “run the Midwest, and in some ways, they’re going to have the political clout to dictate national politics”.
However, he also confirmed that there was “no plan at the moment for there to be a movie” based on the series.
“It’s going to really sink in soon that we’re not working together anymore. And there’s a sadness in that. So, I don’t think any of us would ever say no to anything, but there’s no [follow-up] being written. I know that.”
Bateman then noted that if they were to bring the show back in some way, it would “have to be something that would allow for ghosts, because we’ve got a lot of them we’d want back.”
