Walmart Reunites The Cast Of Office Space In New Black Friday 'Case Of The Mondays' Commercial
In 1999, "Beavis and Butt-Head" and "King of the Hill" creator Mike Judge wrote and directed the workplace comedy "Office Space." Whereas previously Judge only worked in animation, "Office Space" served as his live-action feature debut. Not only was the film significant for Judge's filmography, but it became a quick cult classic among viewers on the strength of its broadly-relatable, office-based comedy, as well as the quality of its writing, benefitting from his prior comedic work.
Since the film's premiere, the stars of "Office Space" have moved on to plenty of noteworthy projects. Lead actor Ron Livingston, for example, has appeared on shows like "Boardwalk Empire" and "Sex and the City." Meanwhile, Gary Cole, who plays the film's monotonous boss character, now stars on "NCIS," which referenced "Office Space" shortly after Cole's addition to its cast.
Judge has stated that he's uninterested in a second "Office Space" unless a good enough idea justifies a proper sequel. While such an idea has yet to manifest, the world of "Office Space" is nevertheless back in a series of ads Walmart created to promote a month-long Black Friday promotion, marking an unlikely return for certain "Office Space" characters more-or-less absent from popular culture since 1999.
Walmart enlisted the cast of Office Space for their affiliation with Mondays
Walmart's first commercial for its Black Friday promotion, titled "Case of the Mondays," opens on the front desk at Initech, which "Office Space" fans may recognize as the stereotypical company from Mike Judge's cult classic film.
Gary Cole's Bill Lumbergh then emerges from the background to procure a paper ad from an office printer for Walmart's so-called Black Friday 2022 deals, which are, rather, on Mondays throughout November. In a subsequent shot, an office employee tells Lumbergh that he looks like he has a case of the Mondays — a phrase Ron Livingston's Peter Gibbons vocally criticizes in "Office Space — as he quietly enjoys an inexpensive wide-screen TV.
After that, Ajay Naidu's Samir Nagheenanajar video conferences with pop star Michael Bolton, referencing David Herman's character, also named Michael Bolton, in "Office Space." Finally, Diedrich Bader as Lawrence opens a memo on his phone about Walmart's Black-Friday-on-Mondays deals before Bolton closes the commercial with the chorus of his hit "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" edited to feature lyrics about Walmart's promotion.
Walmart vice president Casey Schlaybaugh told Variety that the company will premiere a new "Office Space" ad every Monday in November, after which they'll air online, on TV, and in movie theaters.