The Office US actor Oscar Nuñez will return as his character Oscar Martinez in Peacock’s spin-off series.
The new show is rumoured to be called The Paper, and take place in a dying Midwestern historic newspaper and the publisher trying to revive it with volunteer reporters. The series will star Domhnall Gleeson and Sabrina Impacciatore in the leads, and be set in the same universe as its predecessor.
According to a report from Variety, Martinez will not be a central character, which like The Office will be an ensemble piece. However, the article says the character will be in the show from the beginning and be a regular part of the comedy. The series is created by Greg Daniels, who adapted The Office for US audiences based on Ricky Gervais’ UK hit.
At the moment, Nuñez is the only character from the original sit-com returning. Steve Carell told The Hollywood Reporter last year: “I will be watching but I will not be showing up. It’s just a new thing and there’s really no reason for my character (Michael Scott) to show up in something like that”.
Steve Carell says he definitely won't be showing up in the upcoming reboot of #TheOffice, but he thinks the show will be great pic.twitter.com/2QVdNVuM88
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) May 13, 2024
However, he was quick to praise the idea of the show, as well as its cast. “I’m excited about it, it sounds like a great conceit. 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 (2022 series) The Patient with him and he’s an excellent actor and a super nice guy so I think it’ll be great”.
Both the US and UK versions of The Office are considered comedy classics, with the American remake being distinct enough to be enjoyed by lovers of the British version. Amazon’s recent Australian remake was less warmly received, with NME’s two-star review calling it a “safe reimagining that is “dogged by déjà vu”.
Recently, it was announced that there would be a Mexican remake of the sit-com.