Much to fans’ disappointment, Steve Carell has confirmed that he will not be returning for the new Office series.
“I will be watching, but I will not be showing up,” he said of the upcoming spinoff while speaking with The Hollywood Reporter at the premiere of his new movie, IF, on Monday.
“It’s just a new thing, and there’s really no reason for my character to show up in something like that.”
“But I’m excited about it, it sounds like a great conceit,” Steve continued. “I love the idea — I guess it’s set in a failing newspaper company, and I worked with Domhnall Gleeson, who is one of the leads. I did [the 2022 series] The Patient with him, and he’s an excellent actor and a super nice guy, so I think it’ll be great.”
Steve starred as fan favourite Michael Scott in the American version of The Office. The beloved mockumentary sitcom ran for nine seasons, beginning in March 2005 and ending in May 2013.
Despite the Emmy nominee’s elation over the new Office show, many social media users on X, formerly called Twitter, have slammed the project since it was first rumoured last year.
Co-created by Greg Daniels, who developed and executive produced The Office, and television writer Michael Koman, the forthcoming series will be set in the Dunder Mifflin universe and introduce a new cast of characters, Deadline reported last week.
The show, which will stream on Peacock in the US, will see “the documentary crew that immortalised 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,” according to a press release from Peacock.
Production for the series, which is still untitled, will begin in July. A release date has not been announced.