The Office Female-Led Remake Announced for Australia
The Office is getting a remake on Prime Video Australia and fans are shocked. This reboot will be a female-led comedy starring Felicity Ward according to Deadline. Her Hannah Howard will stand in for Ricky Gervais's David Brent in the new version. The Finley Craddick packaging company is under the same sort of dysfunctional management that made millions of viewers around the world fall in love with the show. In trying to save her workplace from downsizing threats, she uncorks chaos that the entire room will have to navigate. New cast members include Edith Poor, Shari Sebbens, Steen Raskopoulos, Josh Thomson, Susan Ling Young, Jonny Brugh, Raj Labade, Firass Dirani, and Lucy Schmit.
"I'm very excited about Australia remaking my little show from the turn of the century," Gervais offered. "Office politics have changed a bit in 20 years, so can't wait to see how they navigate a modern-day David Brent."
"We are thrilled to be bringing one of the biggest comedy franchises ever made to Prime Video customers in Australia and around the world," Sarah Christie, Senior Development Executive Prime Video Australia said. "It is an honour to continue the international comedy legacy of The Office locally while introducing new, quintessentially Australian characters. We can't wait for audiences to meet Hannah Howard, the first female boss The Office format has explored."
The Office's Continuing Cultural Impact
John Krasinski talked to WIRED recently about how was convinced The Office wouldn't become a success. There are many people who had worried it would be canceled before its time during the early run. There was some fun in those early days but it was so different from other TV. In honesty, Krasinski felt like he would be back to his service job in record time.
"I would have to say my favorite Office episode was 'Diversity Day,' it was technically the second episode but it was the first episode of our own. Meaning the pilot was a direct copy of the British show, the whole script was the exact pilot of the British show," the actor shared. "So 'Diversity Day' was the first episode that was ours and ours alone and I will never forget that because, being in that room, not only was I the most unprofessional actor, because I laughed at every single thing that happened and I totally threw the 'being in a documentary [concept]' out the window, I was like, 'No, I'm gonna laugh at everything, all these people do.'"
He continued, "But I remember feeling, in the room, and looking around at all these people who didn't think anyone was gonna watch the show, and we still didn't think anyone would watch the show, but I said, 'This is gonna be one of the funniest things that's ever been recorded on television. Too bad no one will see it because who knows where this show goes.' And I went back to waiting tables, true story, after we shot the first four episodes, I was like, 'Best thing I've ever done, no one will see it,' and I signed up to wait tables again."
Do you think more The Office reboots are coming? Let us know down in the comments!