The Office’s Brian Baumgartner Wishes for Clearer Spinoff Vision

Brian Baumgartner is thrilled about the upcoming spinoff of The Office — but he wanted to clarify a misconception that the OG cast is returning for the new installment.

“Everything that I’ve heard about it sounds amazing. I have no doubt that fans are going to enjoy it,” Baumgartner, 52, exclusively told Us Weekly while promoting his participation in the Hilton Grand Vacations 2025 Tournament of Champions later this month. “I wish the messaging was a little clearer about what it was.”

Baumgartner noted that creator Greg Daniels has tried to specify that the project isn’t a revival, adding, “Greg has tried really hard to get that out there. The thing that is difficult is there are still people who believe that we’re going back to Dunder Mifflin in the next couple of months. That certainly isn’t happening.”

While Baumgartner is excited for the spinoff, he hoped viewers know that the series will be focused on an entirely new location and set of characters.

“Michael Koman, who is a cocreator with Greg, is a really smart guy and Greg is a genius. He has been so reticent about stepping into that world because he’s not wanting to upset the fans,” the actor continued. “I do think, however, that at some point in time, the gang will get back together. I don’t think that we’ll do another nine but I think we will get back together.”

He added: “That there’s an appetite for it — internally, from us. And when Greg has an idea that he feels is worthy then it sounds like most people would be game to get back together.”

The hit NBC sitcom, which aired from 2005 to 2013, focused on the lives of office employees at Dunder Mifflin paper company in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The Office starred Baumgartner, Steve Carell, John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, Rainn Wilson, Angela Kinsey, B.J. Novak, Melora Hardin, Kate Flannery and more familiar faces.

There’s been a demand for a reboot or revival since The Office came to an end. Daniels found a way to expand the franchise by developing an original series that will follow the same mockumentary format while being set in the same universe.

According to the logline, the documentary crew “that immortalized Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton branch is in search of a new subject when they discover a dying historic Midwestern newspaper and the publisher trying to revive it with volunteer reporters.” The current rumored title for the Peacock series is The Paper but no official name has been announced yet.

Daniels previously has clarified that while the new installment is “set in the same universe” as the original, it isn’t considered a reboot or a revival.

“I don’t like to think of anything as a reboot. Because I feel like we ended that story beautifully. The characters had closure,” he told TheWrap in November 2023. “I would never want to redo that same show with a different cast, because I think we got the luckiest cast, the best cast ever, in TV, to do that show. So the notion of a reboot is not of interest.”

Just like devoted fans of The Office, Baumgartner is on the edge of his seat waiting for more information about the Peacock series. For now, however, Baumgartner’s focus has shifted to personal accomplishments, such as his participation in the Hilton Grand Vacations 2025 Tournament of Champions later this month.

“As a competitive person — and as someone who’s participated in sports all their life — it’s this unique experience for me over the last 15 to 20 years as I’ve been doing this. To actually be participating in a professional tournament where I am well aware that there is no chance for me to win,” he quipped. “Ultimately, I know why I’m there. It is to have a good time and to try to have the people who are there watching have a good time to compete. I take it seriously. And I hope that I hit a few good shots that the people watching are surprised about.”

With reporting by Dan Trainor