The Workaholics guys have officially jumped into the movie business with Netflix's Game Over, Man! That said, it looks like the upcoming send-up of Die Hard has some notable roots in their TV years. Specifically, CinemaBlend recently sat down with Blake Anderson to talk about the inspiration for the film, and he explained that its seeds were first planted when they shot the classic "Office Campout" episode of their beloved Comedy Central workplace sitcom. Anderson explained:
I think that was like when the seed of the whole idea of maybe making a movie that was set in an action world, I think that's where it happened. I think there was such a positive response to that episode, and even while we were filming it, it was like 'Wow this is kind of cool to have those stakes, like we are in real trouble.' It's really fun to have that kind of energy and nerves and excitement and being able to bounce comedy off of those feelings. Being able to fall back on that real emotion. It feels like a prime spot for a movie. I would say that is it right there. That's the seed and here's the flower.
There are some clear similarities between "Office Campout" and Game Over, Man! Both take place over the course of a single evening, and both follow the three main heroes as they attempt to survive and fight back in the face of a group of bad guys who invade their place of business. The similarities are not lost on the Workaholics crew, and as Blake Anderson explained to CinemaBlend, the work done on Game Over, Man! was very much inspired by the experience of working on that classic episode.
The "Office Campout" episode of Workaholics is also famous for offering up one of the best jokes in the entire series. Specifically, it's the episode that sparked the famous "Catherine Zeta-Jones, she dips beneath the lasers" Entrapment spoof song that became a fan-favorite moment from Season 1. Check it out, below.
Having said that, there are some differences between Game Over, Man! and "Office Campout" that help create a distinction between the two stories. Most notably, the Netflix film has real stakes, and the threat to the three heroes is very real. By contrast, the "Office Campout" episode was a more offbeat story in which the threat was only in their heads, induced by ingesting too many mushrooms. Moreover, given the fact that Game Over, Man! is a Netflix property, they're allowed to get away with far more risqué and outlandish premises, such as Adam Devine going fully nude. The seed has sprouted, but it has also become its own thing as it has transitioned to the streaming service.
Game Over, Man! will debut on Netflix tomorrow, March 23. Make sure to check it out when it drops and take a look at our Netflix premiere guide and our 2018 movie premiere guide to see what else is on the horizon for the rest of the year!
