David Brent, of BBC’s original mockumentary The Office, is coming to the silver screen stateside next year. The new film, a spinoff of the ground-breaking single-camera sitcom, is entitled Life on the Road and will bring back Ricky Gervais as Brent.
In the new film, a documentary crew follows Brent — who now works as a traveling ‘urinal lozenge’ salesman — as he tries to self-finance a rock tour with his band Foregone Conclusion, according to the Guardian.
“David Brent getting a big U.S. theatrical release? He can die happy now. (Spoiler alert — he does not die in this movie),” said Gervais in a statement.
The feature film comes more than a decade after the BBC version of The Office concluded its two season run (along with a two-part Christmas special) on the BBC in 2003. While low ratings nearly cancelled the show, it has since become a cult hit, as well as spawning the hit American reboot starring Steve Carell of the same name.
The story line of the new film will continue to follow David Brent’s path as a contemptuous, unlikeable, utterly insecure man who cares too much about his unfulfilling job. Now Brent has joined a rock band, though, and wants to turn his life around.
Gervais will also direct and write the film, which will be widely distributed in the U.S. by Open Road Films. “Ricky Gervais is a comic genius and we can’t wait to see where he takes this beloved character,” Open Road CEO Tom Ortenberg said.
Rapper Doc Brown will join Gervais on Life on the Road. “I make him come on the road with me to do some stuff,” Gervais said to Radio Times earlier this year. “The idea is that I am probably holding him back because he’s actually got a chance of making it as a musician, but he’s with this 50 year-old-rep called David Brent.”
