Given the runaway popularity of The Office, it’s hardly surprising that a host of networks have attempted to capitalize on its success since the final season aired in 2013. Indeed, the fact that The Office itself is a remake often gets overlooked. The original series aired in the UK four years prior and starred Ricky Gervais as the lead.

Steve Carell took over that gig in 2005 and made history as The Office‘s US remake became hailed as one of the best sitcoms of all time. Now, Dunder Mifflin is looking to open even more branches. The Paper serves as a direct spinoff to the US show, an Australian remake aired in 2025, and rumors of a US reunion have barely ceased over the past 12 years.

Now, another The Office remake is on the horizon. Die Kantoor, a South African remake set at Deluxe Processed Meats rather than Dunder Mifflin, will premiere on Showmax on January 20, 2026 (via Variety). Mirroring the mockumentary style of previous versions, Deluxe Processed Meats is a polony manufacturer – a type of meat that writer and director Bennie Fourie describes as the last thing anyone wants to say they’re passionate about.

Die Kantoor‘s variation on David Brent/Michael Scott will be Flip, portrayed by Albert Pretorius. As with The Office‘s previous leads, Flip harbors delusions of grandeur, as he expects the in-universe documentary crew to capture his “rise to greatness” after being promoted to manager.

It certainly sounds like all the main ingredients of The Office are present and correct: fictional film crew, cringe-inducing boss, uninspiring area of industry. The switch from paper company to meat manufacturer is an interesting choice, but one of the best tricks the US version of The Office pulled was catering for American viewers rather than sticking faithfully to the UK version. Die Kantoor is smartly following suit for a South African audience.

At the same time, we’ve seen different retellings of The Office experience varying degrees of success. The Paper was a hit with audiences and critics and has been renewed for season 2, whereas The Office‘s Australian remake was canceled after a single season.

It’s a similar story with other international remakes. Le Bureau (the French version) lasted only six episodes, whereas Stromberg (German) ran for five seasons and enjoyed decent reviews. In terms of longevity and cultural impact, no version of The Office has quite matched Michael Scott’s, but Die Kantoor may be one of those rare remakes that resonates with its audience just as much as the US show did for Americans between 2005 and 2013.

Source: Variety