The American version of Ricky Gervais’ The Office led by Steve Carell is one of the most popular sitcoms ever. Its popularity surpassed the original British version, and Carell’s Michael Scott became one of the most fan-favorite characters in the show. The show ran for 9 seasons from 2005 to 2013, and now a new iteration set in the same universe is in development.
While it is not a reboot of Carell’s show, it will have the same mockumentary-style narrative with a new cast focused on a dying Midwestern newspaper company. When Carell was asked recently whether Michael Scott would appear in the show, the actor expressed his excitement for the new show but stated that he won’t be returning as his character from The Office.
The Office Follow-Up Show Won’t Feature Steve Carell’s Michael Scott
Almost a decade after the end of the Steve Carell-led The Office, a new series set in the same world as the show was announced recently. A straight-to-series order was given at Peacock, and this new show will be set in the same universe as The Office but will feature a new cast working in a dying Midwestern newspaper company.
With this premise, there is a slight possibility of Carell’s Michael Scott making an appearance in the show. The actor was asked about the new show and whether his character would return. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the actor revealed that it does not make sense for his character to show up in the new show, but he’s excited to watch it.
The new show will star Domhnall Gleeson, whom Carell worked with in the 2022 show The Patient. Carell is excited to see him take on the lead and what he does with it as he is an excellent actor. He told THR,
“I will be watching but I will not be showing up. It’s just a new thing and there’s no reason for my character [Michael Scott] to show up in something like that. But I’m excited about it, it sounds like a great conceit.
I love the idea — I guess it’s set in a family newspaper company, and I worked with Domhnall Gleeson, who is one of the leads; I did [2022 series] The Patient with him and he’s an excellent actor and a super nice guy so I think it’ll be great.”
This is sad news for fans of The Office, however, his comments make sense. Carell is currently promoting the upcoming film IF, where he reunites with his Office co-star John Krasinski. The actor had already directed some episodes of The Office back in the day, and Carell was aware of his incredible directing skills. Carell immediately jumped at the opportunity to star in IF as he told THR.
John Krasinski and Steve Carell Had a Heartwarming Reunion on The Set of IF
John Krasinski and Steve Carell had a great working relationship when they were working on The Office. Years later, they are reuniting on Krasinski’s new fantasy comedy film IF, where Carell voices the character Blue. In a recent interview, Krasinski recalled the first day on the set of IF where they reunited and the powerful speech that Carell gave about him.
Krasinski stated that Carell expressed how proud he was of the former being a great director in his speech. The actor was also very honored to be in the film and told Krasinski that he would do anything. This made the 44-year-old choke up and have a highly emotional day. Krasinski said (via Slashfilm),
“As much fun as it was to work with him, the most powerful part about it was he came in with the most heartfelt speech about how proud he is of me to be making movies. He said in reading the script, ‘I’m just so honored to be a part of it. I’ll do whatever it takes.’ So when I thought that I would be laughing all day, I was crying all day.”
IF also stars Cailey Fleming, Ryan Reynolds, Krasinski, Fiona Shaw, Alan Kim, and Liza Colón-Zayas, along with the voices of Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Louis Gossett Jr and many others. The film will be released in theatres on May 17, 2024.
