TV & Movies
A Spin-Off Of The Office Is In The Works
But don’t expect to see the Dunder Mifflin staff again.
The Office is returning — sort of. On May 8, Peacock announced that it had picked up a new Office series. However, it’s not a reboot or revival of the original show, but rather a new series set in the same universe.
The as-yet-untitled project will take on the same mockumentary format as the original show, but will focus on a group of new characters working in a different industry.
The official plot synopsis, provided to Variety, reads, “The documentary crew that immortalized Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton branch is in search of a new subject when they discover a dying historic Midwestern newspaper and the publisher trying to revive it with volunteer reporters.”
The first two cast members — The White Lotus star Sabrina Impacciatore and Star Wars alum Domhnall Gleeson — have been announced, but no details about their characters were revealed.
The new series is co-created by Greg Daniels, who adapted the American version of The Office from its UK counterpart, and Michael Koman. They will also serve as executive producers along with Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, who created the original British series. Production is scheduled to begin in July.
Will Any Office Stars Return?
Because the new series is set in the same universe as The Office, it’s possible that beloved characters could make appearances — but no plans for any of the original actors to reprise their roles have been revealed.
Some of them might be up for the job if asked. Angela Kinsey and Jenna Fischer expressed interest in returning for an Office movie, or any reboot project that Daniels was involved in. “I would do it for my kids because I think they would think that's fun,” Kinsey said, with Fischer adding, “As long as Greg is writing it and he’s in charge of it, then I say yes.”
However, Daniels has previously expressed that he has no interest in reviving The Office in any way. “I feel like we ended that story beautifully,” he told TheWire in November. “I think we got the luckiest cast, the best cast ever, in TV, to do that show.”
