Going solo. Ricky Gervais will bring back David Brent, but Stephan Merchant won’t be joining him. (Picture: BBC)

The spin-off film based around former-office manager David Brent is set to go ahead, but without one half of the team behind the award-winning TV series it’s based on.

According to The Sun, Ricky Gervais is going ahead with the movie – titled Life on the Road – but there is no room for Stephen Merchant.

‘Ricky has every right to do a David Brent movie on his own but fans will understandably be gutted to have it confirmed that Stephen is not involved at all.’ a source said.

Although the spin-off was announced a while ago, with Gervais enthusiastically talking up the project, there has been no official announcement as to whether Merchant be involved.


David Brent getting ready for Life on the Road (Picture: WENN)

The pair were co-writers and co-directors of The Office, having first met at radio station XFM in 1997. They continued broadcasting their weekly show for several years, adding Karl Pilkington to the line-up, even as the TV series became a huge success.



Gervais and Merchant made twelve episodes of the Slough-based mockumentary, with an additional two Christmas specials ending the show in 2004. They went on to make Extras, which also starred Merchant, and co-directed feature film Cemetery Junction.

Its believed that none of the other original characters will make it into the movie, so we won’t be seeing Tim (Martin Freeman) and Gareth (Mackenzie Crook) arguing again over office supplies.

Merchant has gone on to work in America in both TV and Film, and will next be seen in a stage production in the West End in July.

Stephen Merchant in chaps for Christina Aguilera Lip Sync Battle (Picture: SPIKE TV)

Gervais resurrected the David Brent character for a two episodes of the American version of the show, and a one-off Comic Relief special. The film will up where this left off, with Brent touring the UK with his band Forgone Conclusion.

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