Above: Rainn Wilson lets his hair down for The Rocker.

Fans of Rainn Wilson's offbeat, hilarious and strangely endearing performance as Dwight Schrute on NBC's The Office might expect him to transition into film work with straightforward comedy, and The Rocker confirms that suspicion. However, they might not realize the serious professional motives behind his choice. In the movie, directed by Peter Cattaneo (The Full Grown Monty), Wilson plays a grown-up dolt named Fish with a scary fixation on classic rock. Abandoned by the band Vesuvius in his teens -- before they became a commercial phenomenon -- Fish spends the next twenty years working deadbeat jobs and wishing things happened differently. Naturally, he gets a second chance: When the opportunity rolls around to drum for his nephew's high school, Fish goes for it. Ageism and slapstick humor ensue.

While not exactly a classic, The Rocker proves Wilson has the charisma to carry a movie. The script could use some polishing, but Wilson manages to play a completely dysfunctional human being without ever becoming an annoyance. It's a testament to his skill as an actor with calculated timing. The humor emerges from the naturalism of his performances, which make you believe in the outlandish characters he portrays. In a conversation with Cinematical recently, Wilson elaborated on his particular strategies as his career advances, reminisced about his days as a New York theater actor, and shed some light on a few upcoming projects.

Once he's finished tackling teen pregnancy with the up-and-coming Ellen Page and Juno, director Jason Reitman is looking to don his ninja outfit for a flick called Bonzai Shadowhands. Those of you who are big fans of the Americanized version of The Office will be happy to hear that the script is being written by Rainn Wilson (aka Dwight), as a starring vehicle for himself. Reitman will helm, as well as produce alongside his Hard C partner Daniel Dubiecki for Fox Searchlight.

As of now, the plot is being kept hush hush, however the Hollywood Reporter tells us the dark comedy will revolve around a "once-great ninja who is now living a life of mediocrity." It sounds a bit silly, but Reitman seems to have a good eye for material and, while his father dedicated most of his career to straight comedies, the younger Reitman seems like the kind of guy who wants to spice up the genre, concentrate more on story and character, as well as darken -- not lighten -- up the mood. And I dig that about him. In saying that, I'm not crazy about Wilson in The Office (Mackenzie Crook, in my mind, was so much better in the role), and never had a chance to see him in My Super Ex-Girlfriend. (In fact, it was on the set of Ex-Girlfriend where Wilson and Reitman first met.) Could Wilson, who spends most of his time playing the most annoying character on the face of the planet, successfully carry a film all on his own? Jason Reitman seems to think so -- what about you?