‘The Office’ is getting an Australian adaptation with the franchise’s first-ever female lead

The Office is getting an Australian adaptation, led by Australian comedian Felicity Ward, it has been revealed.

• READ MORE: In conversation with Ricky Gervais: on ‘Humanity’, offensiveness and the future of David Brent

Per Variety, the Australian adaptation is set to begin production in Sydney, Australia this June. The show – which will consist of eight episodes – will be released as an Amazon Original and will be available for streaming on Prime Video sometime in 2024 worldwide, apart from the US.

Felicity Ward, who will lead the cast, will portray Hannah Howard, the managing director of Australian packaging company Flinley Craddick. It will mark the first time in The Office‘s franchise history that the show is being led by a female actor.

Taking place after the COVID-19 pandemic, Howard is informed by the company’s head office that her branch is being shut down, with her staff being forced to work from home. From there, Howard concocts schemes to keep the branch from being shuttered in order to keep her staff together.

In a statement to Variety, original The Office creator Ricky Gervais said of the Australian adaptation: “I’m very excited about Australia remaking my little show from the turn of the century. Offices politics have changed a bit in 20 years, so can’t wait to see how they navigate a modern-day David Brent.”

Since Gervais’ version of The Office, the sitcom has been remade and adapted over 10 times for various regions across the world, with the most popular being the American version starring Steve Carell as Michael Scott, Rainn Wilson as Dwight Schrute and more.

Speaking to the BBC in 2021, Gervais said he thinks The Office would fall victim to ‘cancel culture’ if it were to air today. “I’m looking forward to when they pick out one thing and try to cancel it,” Gervais commented. “Someone said they might try to cancel it one day, and I say, ‘Good let them cancel it. I’ve been paid!’”

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