Questions
Who made Office Space and when did it come out?
It was written and directed by Mike Judge and released on February 19, 1999 by 20th Century Fox.
Where did the movie come from originally?
Mike Judge based it on his "Milton" animated shorts that aired on Liquid Television and Saturday Night Live before he expanded the idea into a feature film.
Did Mike Judge base it on his own life?
Yes, he drew on his own experience, including a temp job alphabetizing purchase orders and engineering work at Parallax Graphics in Silicon Valley during the 1980s.
Who stars in Office Space?
Ron Livingston plays Peter Gibbons, Jennifer Aniston plays Joanna, Gary Cole plays Bill Lumbergh, and Stephen Root plays Milton Waddams.
Was the famous red Swingline stapler real?
Not at first. The stapler used on screen was not actually made in red, so it was reportedly spray-painted for the film.
So how did the red stapler become a real product?
Swingline released an official red stapler in April 2002, reportedly in response to repeated requests from fans of the film.
What does TPS actually stand for?
Mike Judge has explained that the abbreviation meant "Test Program Set," though the term now stands for pointless, mindless paperwork.
What song plays during the printer smashing scene?
Peter, Michael, and Samir destroy the malfunctioning printer in a field to "Still" by the Geto Boys, and the scene has been widely parodied since.
What is the deal with the "pieces of flair"?
Joanna’s frustration with mandatory decorative buttons called flair struck such a chord that TGI Fridays reportedly dropped the requirement after the film came out.
Did Office Space do well in theaters?
No. On a roughly $10 million budget it made about $12.2 million theatrically, and it only became a cult classic later through home video.
How did it become such a big cult hit?
It caught on through TV and DVD. Comedy Central’s August 2001 premiere drew 1.4 million viewers, the channel aired it 35 times by 2003, and it had sold over 6 million DVDs in the US by 2006.
Where was Office Space filmed?
It was shot in Dallas and Austin, Texas, with principal photography beginning in May 1998. The Alligator Grill on South Lamar Boulevard in Austin served as the interior of Chotchkie’s.
Was this Mike Judge’s first live-action movie?
Yes, and cinematographer Tim Suhrstedt reportedly taught him about lenses and camera placement during the shoot.
Has anyone ever pulled off Peter’s money scheme in real life?
Reportedly yes. In 2022 a software engineer edited code to divert shipping fees and stole over $300,000, and police found a folder labeled "OfficeSpace project" on his work laptop.
Do critics respect the movie now?
Its reputation grew over time. Entertainment Weekly ranked it number 73 on its 2008 list of the 100 best films from 1983 to 2008, and a 25th anniversary reunion panel was held at South by Southwest in 2024.
