Netflix has acquired U.S. and select international rights to Ricky Gervais’s film David Brent: Life on the Road. The feature-length film sees a documentary crew catching up with David Brent, star of the original The Office. Brent is a travelling salesman, and self-financing a British tour with his band, Foregone Conclusion.
The movie premieres on Netflix in 2017. Netflix’s rights do not cover the U.K., Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, where Entertainment One will release David Brent as a theatrical film in August.
“We are thrilled to welcome the iconic character of David Brent back to Netflix, as we were the home to the first digital deal for The Office,” said Ted Sarandos, Netflix chief content officer. “Our existing collaborations across series, for Derek, and in film, with Special Correspondents have been fruitful, and it’s only fitting for us to have Ricky’s upcoming feature film available to as many of our viewers as possible.”
The Office aired on BBC2 and spawned the U.S. version on NBC.
David Brent: Life on the Road is a LOTR Films Ltd production, co-financed by eOne and BBC Films. The film is executive produced by Duncan Hayes, Christine Langan and Alex Hamilton, produced by Charlie Hanson and co-produced by Katie Mavroleon.
"I'm so glad the mighty Netflix have once again outbid all competitors in North America to show my movie exclusively,” said Gervais, host of the 2016 Golden Globes. “It is the perfect platform for me, giving complete creative freedom and also millions of instant viewers who can watch again and again. I can’t wait for David Brent to follow it up with his US live tour!”
