Ricky Gervais played David Brent in the original UK version of The Office. Photo / Supplied
Ricky Gervais played David Brent in the original UK version of The Office. Photo / Supplied
The debate has long raged over which version of The Office is better - the original UK series starring Ricky Gervais, or America’s take starring Steve Carell.
But there’s soon to be another middle management caricature competing with David Brent’s dry humour and Michael Scott’s “parkour!” antics.
An Australian version of the iconic show that’s been in development since 2018 is coming to Prime Video, set to launch in 2024.
And the Daily Mail Australia has revealed who is set to take on the lead role famously debuted by Ricky Gervais on the original BBC sitcom. While names like Isla Fisher and Magda Szubanski have been floated around, it’s comedian Felicity Ward who will play a female version of the character.
Known for The Inbetweeners 2 and Spicks and Specks, Ward will play Hannah Howard, the managing director at packaging company Flinley Craddock. When Howard receives news from Head Office that her branch is about to be shut down she “goes into survival mode, making promises she can’t keep in order to keep her ‘work family’ together”.
What’s more, the series has original co-creator Gervais’ stamp of approval.
He said in a statement, “I’m very excited about Australia remaking my little show from the turn of the century. Office politics have changed a bit in 20 years, so can’t wait to see how they navigate a modern-day David Brent.”
Production on the eight-part series will begin in June in Sydney as filming takes place over eight weeks.
Felicity Ward will play Hannah Howard in the Australian remake of The Office. Photo / Prime Video
Edith Poor (The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power), Shari Sebbens (Thor: Love and Thunder) and Steen Raskopoulos (The Duchess) will also join the cast.
The show is executive produced by Jackie Van Beek (The Breaker Upperers), Julie De Fina (Aftertaste) and Kylie Washington.
Prime Video Australia’s senior development executive Sarah Christie said in a statement, “We are thrilled to be bringing one of the biggest comedy franchises ever made to Prime Video customers in Australia and around the world.
“It is an honour to continue the international comedy legacy of The Office locally while introducing new, quintessentially Australian characters. We can’t wait for audiences to meet Hannah Howard, the first female boss The Office format has explored.”
The show is co-produced by BBC Studios Australia and New Zealand, Bunya Entertainment, and Amazon Studios.
The original series included two seasons of six episodes each and two Christmas specials, featuring comedian Gervais as the awkward David Brent at a paper company in Slough called Wernham Hogg.
The US version, produced by NBC, saw Steve Carell play Michael Scott, the regional manager at Dunder Mifflin in Scranton and ran for nine seasons with a total of 201 episodes.
