A Reboot of 'The Office' Is Supposedly Happening

It has been 10 years since The Office ended and we said goodbye to Michael, Jim, Pam, Dwight, and co. But now it looks as if the Dunder Mifflin Paper Company could be reopening its doors, with series creator Greg Daniels rumored to be planning a "reboot" of the beloved workplace sitcom once the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes are resolved.

In a story published on media outlet Puck News, writers Matthew Belloni and Jonathan Handel offered their speculative take on what the first slate of projects to be made in the aftermath of the strikes might include, based on the rumors that have been circulating in the TV industry both prior to and during the strikes. And a revival of the long-running sitcom was at the top of their list.

"Greg Daniels is set to do a reboot of The Office, for instance," they said. "Disney’s Dana Walden will finally be able to announce the return of her BFF Ryan Murphy from Netflix. A ton of high-profile movie scripts will come in. The industry will chug back to normal."

In the case of the entertainment business, "back to normal" clearly means "back to revisiting existing IP." It makes a certain amount of sense in context: investing time and money in new shows is always a risk, while a revival or reimagining of an already-popular piece of media comes with a guaranted, built-in audience.

This would technically be a remake of a remake, as The Office was itself an adaptation of Ricky Gervais' mockumentary sitcom of the same name. The American version began with the same basic premise—a well-meaning but irritating boss with an off-putting sidekick, a will-they-won't-they romance between a sales rep and a receptionist—but ran for nine seasons on NBC compared to the original's two, building out an expansive ensemble cast and revolving door of guest stars.

Here's everything we know so far about the proposed reboot.

Who will be in The Office reboot?

There is no word yet as to whether this new version of the show will be a revival featuring the original cast, or a complete reboot with a brand new cast.

There is certainly a precedent for actors returning to the characters that made them famous at a later point in their lives, from the Roseanne spinoff The Conners to Netflix miniseriesGilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, or this year's Frasier sequel, which sees Kelsey Grammer's psychiatrist once again starting afresh in a new city.

Whether or not the cast of The Office would be available is another question. John Kraskinski is busy being an action hero, not to mention constantly being fan-cast in the MCU. Steve Carell has transitioned into a respected dramatic actor. Mindy Kaling is one of the most sought-after comedic writers in Hollywood. Ellie Kempner was propelled to leading role status in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Rainn Wilson is on a mission to save the planet.

Could any—or all—of them be tempted back? Hard to say.

What will the reboot be about?

The basic plot and premise of any reboot would almost certainly hew close to what made both the UK and US versions of The Office so popular in the first place: an ordinary workplace, populated by eccentric characters, with the occasional festive episode that provides a showcase for the entire cast's comedic talents

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