Gervais’ Office spin-off set for Netflix

Netflix is set to take Ricky Gervais’ new movie to global SVOD audiences.

Speaking on US radio this week, the comedian and writer said Netflix had acquired international rights to David Brent: Life on the Road, and will debut it after its theatrical release.

The film is a spin-off of Gervais’ popular BBC comedy The Office, which introduced Gervais to global audiences and was remade in the US.

“This is exciting news and this is top secret, so I’m going to say it now,” Gervais told the Opie with Jim Norton Show (see video). “Netflix has bought out the rest of the world again, which is great for me, because I’d rather 20 million people see it than half a million people see it in cinemas… I want to do tours off the back of it, so for me, it’s great.”

Entertainment One, a co-financier on the movie with the BBC, still has rights in the UK, Australia and New Zealand, and it is unlikely the deal covers these territories. Netflix had no officially confirmed the news at press time.

David Brent: Life on the Road follow the titular Brent, the idiotic former manager of the Slough office of his TV comedy, as he continues to dream of becoming a rock star.

Gervais has already made one film directly for Netflix, launching Special Correspondents earlier this year.