US Office star Rainn Wilson claims show bosses could have earned ‘another billion dollars’ with a series just about his character – as new spinoff The Paper launches

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One well-known actor from the American version of The Office stated that a proposed spin-off featuring his character, had it been produced, could have generated an additional billion dollars in revenue.

Rainn Wilson, aged 59, gained significant recognition for playing the character Dwight Schrute in NBC’s hit series The Office. Interestingly, he was on the verge of having a separate spin-off show titled The Farm back in 2013.

He has lately shared insights regarding the abandoned series, which was disclosed after The Paper’s release on September 4, a fresh offshoot taking place within the same world as The Office.

During an episode of The Last Laugh podcast, he mentioned that NBC was under new management at the time, who favored producing grand, vibrant, attention-grabbing multi-camera shows, reminiscent of a more traditional style.

At that point, they showed no interest whatsoever in spin-offs. If they had acquired The Farm, they likely would have an additional billion dollars in their accounts.

Although the entire series failed to materialize, a standalone episode titled “The Office” aired in 2013, serving as a pilot for potential future episodes.

Nevertheless, it faced unfavorable criticism and was likened to a “Frankenstein-like” episode by critics.

Or, in a slightly different way: Despite positive anticipation, the response from critics turned out to be quite negative, with some even comparing it to a Frankenstein episode.

The actor mused that although he thinks the spin-off may not match the brilliance of the original, it is likely to remain a robust offering in terms of comedy.

He commented: ‘Regardless if someone has watched The Office twenty times already, they’ll likely view it at least once or twice more.’

‘Would it have been as good as The Office? No. No way. Not even close. 

‘Would it have been good? Would it have been solid? Would it have been a good solid comedy? 

Absolutely, we would have accomplished some fantastic things, and I believe they certainly lost an opportunity for some remarkable experiences.

Wilson continued: ‘But the history of The Office in NBC is – they never really got the show. 

Approximately five years following the end of the show, an unexpected surge occurred when it began to be watched for billions of minutes on Netflix. This sudden popularity made NBC realize that they had potentially overlooked a gold mine. They acknowledged that the show was indeed of high quality and had potential for lasting appeal.

Critics of The Office swiftly expressed their disapproval upon hearing about The Paper, arguing that a spin-off wasn’t necessary since it didn’t seem essential.

The Paper, starring Domhnall Gleeson and Sabrina Impacciatore, is a new mockumentary.

In the beloved series The Office, Oscar Nunez, a fan favorite actor, is set to return, enhancing the nostalgic feel of the show. Interestingly, the same documentary crew responsible for capturing the daily happenings at Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton branch will be employed once more.

Taking to social media, one fan vented: ‘EWWWWWWW WE DONT WANT IT.’

‘This is a horrible idea,’ another said.

Another person noted: “This series started back in 2001. It’s time for it to come to an end and introduce some fresh concepts.

‘We really need this?’ asked a fourth.

A fifth simply wrote: ‘They can’t outdo the doer.’

Rather than the characters from The Office dealing with paper sales, The Paper focuses on a team working at a newspaper.

The U.S. adaptation of ‘The Office’ was inspired by the original British show, both conceived by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant.

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2025-09-12 20:03