Patton Oswalt laid the groundwork for 'The Book of Boba Fett' in an episode of 'Parks and Rec'

While the rest of us were living in 2013, comedian Patton Oswalt was living in 2021. Now that the debut episode of The Book of Boba Fett is available to stream for Disney+ subscribers, members of the audience have noticed striking similarities between Fett's post-Return of the Jedi escape from the Sarlacc's digestive tract and a Season 5 episode of Parks and Recreation in which a character — played by Oswalt — provides a detailed fan pitch for Star Wars: The Force Awakens during a filibuster (this was two years before Episode VII opened in theaters).

His vision for the opening scene is as follows: "Pan down from the twin suns of Tatooine. We are now close on the mouth of the Sarlacc pit. After a beat, the gloved, Mandalorian armor gauntlet of Boba Fett grabs onto the sand outside the Sarlacc pit and the feared bounty hunter pulls himself from the maw of the sand beast. And we realized that he survived his fall during the battle at Jabba's palace ship."

Now, if you've seen the first episode of The Mandalorian spinoff, you'll know that's exactly what happens at the 2:36-mark, including the pan down from the twin suns. Coincidence? Was creator/writer/executive producer Jon Favreau perhaps influenced by Oswalt's detailed and on-the-money scene direction? Whatever the case, Oswalt is happy to take credit. "To say I’m touched is putting it lightly," he tweeted once fans started to point out the comparisons. "And yeah, #BookofBobaFett ROCKS. YOU'RE WELCOME."

You can watch the full filibuster sequence below:

Spinning out of The Mandalorian Season 2, the new galactic series takes place on the desert planet of Tatooine, where the titular bounty hunter (returning prequel vet, Temuera Morrison) and his right-hand assassin, Fennec Shand (Ming-Na Wen), assume control of Jabba the Hutt's criminal empire. While Fett hopes to rule with respect rather than fear, he learns all too soon that kindness won't cut the mustard in the harsh outposts of the Outer Rim. A mafia boss must rule by fear or they won't rule at all.

“Boba bites off more than he can chew, and we definitely do not make it easy for him,” executive producer and Episode 1 director Robert Rodriguez said while speaking to The Hollywood Reporter ahead of the show's premiere. “It’s easy to sit on the throne; it’s not easy to stay on. So what’s it like for a bounty hunter to have to suddenly become a leader? Where’s the push and pull in that? What is he trying to become? We really go in depth into the character.”

“Boba gives us a direct connection to the Star Wars saga since he was involved in that story,” added fellow EP Dave Filoni. “This creates a nice crossover point for both classic characters and new characters. Much of The Mandalorian was new, or had not been seen onscreen. Through Boba Fett, we can weave some of those characters and tales together using a character we know but don’t know a lot about.”

The first episode of The Book of Boba Fett — titled "Chapter 1: Stranger in a Strange Land" — is now streaming on Disney+. Episode 2 arrives on the subscription streaming platform next Wednesday, Jan. 5.