The Office star Rainn Wilson shares his thoughts on the announced reboot series. Serving as an adaptation of a British series of the same name created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, The Office first aired on NBC in 2005, following employees working at a paper company in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Talk of a revival has essentially been constant since the show concluded in 2013, but a reboot of The Office was finally confirmed earlier this year, with the sitcom set to take place at a failing Midwestern newspaper.
In a recent interview with CinemaBlend, Wilson, who played Dwight Schrute on the original show, reacts to news of The Office reboot. While the actor doesn’t rule out a cameo appearance, he expresses sadness that the reboot isn’t taking place in Scranton. Check out Wilson’s full comment below:
Yeah, I don’t see how Dwight goes from Scranton to wherever they’re shooting it in the Midwest. But, you know, if Greg [Daniels] wants me to do something, I’m happy to do something. But, I am sad that they’re leaving Scranton.
I understand that they’re why they’re leaving Scranton, but I kind of feel like there should be like seven different office spinoffs kind of like Law and Order. Like there’s Law and Order: SVU and Law and Order: Criminal Intent, and there should be all of these workplace documentaries going on, but they should all be in the Scranton Wilkes Bar, Lackawanna County, greater Metropolitan area.
I think we were given a heads up that it’s the all new cast, all new thing they’re doing. And you know, with Greg Daniels at the helm, he’s always gonna be looking out for the best interest. So if he had an idea [for a cameo], I mean, I don’t think many of us could go back to his regulars at this point. But, to pop in, make sure the office is running right. That might happen. I don’t know.
Should The Office Reboot Take Place In Scranton?
Why A Change Of Scenery Might Be For The Best
Most of The Office wasn’t actually filmed in Scranton and not much of the city is actually shown on screen throughout the series. It’s important, though, that the series took place in a city that felt somewhat ordinary and familiar, instead of a city like New York City or some other bustling metropolis. The Scranton Business Park, for example, is completely unremarkable, and it could very well be located in countless other cities around the country.
It’s unclear exactly what town or city in the Midwest The Office reboot will take place in, but it will probably feature many of these same qualities. In terms of why creator Greg Daniels opted to move the show, there’s probably an easy explanation. If the reboot took place in Scranton, it would probably just be too connected to the original show, and audiences would constantly be expecting members of The Office cast of characters to show up since, in-universe, they’re presumably fairly close by.
By moving The Office reboot across the country, the new show can hopefully start fresh and feel like its own distinct thing. It’s still possible that original cast members will cameo, but it’s less of a given now, and the show will have to stand on its own two feet. It remains to be seen how The Office reboot’s location compares to Scranton, but audiences are evidently in for some changes with the new show.
