‘The Wire’: A Prequel Movie? Bunk Pitches To HBO & David Simon

So Wendell Pierce, the love able, cigar-chomping, drunkard murder detective “William “Bunk” Moreland has apparently pitched “The Wire” show creator David Simon a feature-length prequel idea that would revolve around the Barksdale family and how they rose to power.

We read this a couple days ago, in what we believe was the L.A. Times, but can’t find the piece (anyone?), but regardless found the same information on PageSix.com. “We’re trying to convince HBO and David [Simon] to do a movie of ‘The Wire,’ ” Pierce said at a recent red carpet event for the New York premiere of the fifth and final season. “We’ve acquired financing from people who are interested in filming a prequel to [the show]. Now we’re going through a writer’s strike so everything is kind of dormant, but we hope to get back in their and pitch the movie to HBO.”

HBO if you’re listening, pleeeeeease do this. Wire-heads can’t get enough. The Pagesix piece doesn’t have any mention of the Barksdale empire angle, but the aforementioned article we can’t find definitely does. Anyone find the article we’re talking about, please send?

An idea for a sixth season was thrown around by ‘Wire’ writer David Mills that could’ve focused on the growing Latino population in Baltimore, but Simon felt they didn’t really have anyone on the staff that was an expert in the field and it would’ve taken a couple years of research.

Can you believe this critically acclaimed show has never won an Emmy and only has been nominated once? “I don’t give a [fuck] if we ever win one of their little trinkets,” Simon told Newsweek contemptuously. “I don’t care if they ever figure out we’re here in Baltimore.”

Season 5 debuts tonight on HBO, but as we mentioned earlier this week, it’s been on HBO OnDemand since last Sunday and we’ve already caught it twice. The show’s Tom Waits penned theme song, “Way Down In The Hole,” is covered by Steve Earle this fifth season.
Watch/Listen: Steve Earle – “Down In The Hole”