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EXCLUSIVE: Cable whitethorn beryllium dying but The Cable Guy lives connected — connected streaming. Hulu has ordered a drama aviator inspired by nan Jim Carrey movie, pinch Jake Johnson and Damon Wayans Jr. attached to prima and executive produce. The aviator bid comes connected nan 30th day of nan Ben Stiller-directed achromatic drama which debuted successful June 1996. The untitled task is produced by Sony Pictures Television, whose movie workplace related released The Cable Guy, and Sony TV-based Original Film (The Boys franchise).
Johnson besides headlines nan caller NBC drama bid Sunset P.I. If nan Cable Guy aviator goes to series, he will beryllium capable to do both.
The aviator was written by Rob Rosell (It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia) and Joe Piarulli & Luan Thomas (Cobra Kai), large fans of nan movie who are honoring it, not remaking it, successful nan vein of what nan Fargo TV bid did pinch nan Coen brothers feature. Still, The Cable Guy TV show is keeping person ties to nan original than Fargo did, arsenic its stars Johnson and Wayans Jr. are playing versions of nan cardinal characters from nan movie, Chip Douglas (Carrey) and Steven Stephens (Matthew Broderick), respectively. It besides gives nan 1996 premise a 2026 makeover for nan streaming age.
Here is nan logline: In a world of endless streaming, binging, and algorithms, old-school cablegram technician Chip Douglas (Johnson) languishes unsocial — until Steven Stephens (Wayans Jr.) calls to person his cablegram turned backmost on, reconnecting Chip pinch a puerility friend he ne'er forgot. The narration gives each man thing he’s been missing… until Chip’s enthusiasm turns into obsession. Inspired by nan movie, nan show explores nan darkly absurd broadside of modern-day antheral friendship.
Rosell, Piarulli and Thomas, who will service arsenic co-showrunners, executive nutrient alongside Johnson, Wayans Jr. and Original Film’s Neal H. Moritz and Pavun Shetty.
The aviator reunites Johnson and Wayans Jr. who are some original New Girl cast members and starred successful nan aviator of nan Fox drama bid from Liz Meriwether. Wayans Jr. famously had to propulsion retired erstwhile his bubble ABC bid Happy Endings was amazingly renewed. Instead of recasting his domiciled arsenic Coach and reshooting nan pilot, Fox and nan New Girl producers opted to support nan aviator arsenic is and present a caller bid regular characteristic played by Lamorne Morris successful Episode 2. That allowed Wayans Jr. to yet return successful Season 3, becoming a bid regular successful Season 4 of nan Zooey Deschanel-led drama and a impermanent prima successful Seasons 5-7. Johnson was a bid regular for New Girl’s full seven-season run; Rosell was a co-executive shaper connected nan show for Seasons 3-6, earning a WGA Award information for his episode Landline.
This marks Sony TV’s return to Hulu wherever nan indie workplace antecedently produced nan 2016 play bid Shut Eye and comedies Future Man (2017) and Woke (2020).
It besides is Sony TV’s first aviator successful years arsenic nan workplace awhile backmost pivoted its business from broadcast to streaming pinch a attraction connected drama; its existent web bid are each connected Fox which does not do pilots. The aviator exemplary has been making a comeback successful streaming lately, pinch Hulu and HBO Max now utilizing it connected a regular basis.
The Cable Guy pilot bid follows Hulu’s pickup of play aviator Chicks starring and executive produced by Ellen Pompeo, which was revealed by Deadline yesterday. The Disney streamer besides picked up a drama (Lex) and a play (Durango) aviator in tandem this past March.
If nan Cable Guy pilot goes to series, it will subordinate Sony TV’s sole existent live-action drama series, Twisted Metal at Peacock, pinch respective others successful nan works, including Save nan Date. At nan studio, nan Cable Guy project was developed by SVP Comedy Development Kate Gill; Sony TV’s astir caller caput of comedy, EVP Comedy Development Colin Davis, departed successful nan astir caller information of layoffs successful April.
Directed by Stiller from a book by Lou Holtz Jr. and produced by Judd Apatow, The Cable Guy stars Carrey as Chip, a psychologically unstable cablegram installer who forces his relationship connected an unsuspecting customer, Steven (Broderick), pinch his methods gradually getting darker and much unhinged.
The movie did respectably astatine nan boxoffice pinch $103M worldwide, short of erstwhile Carrey hits but capable to move a profit. It besides subsequently became a cult hit.
In 2026, Johnson is being seen in The Sun Never Sets, which premiered astatine SXSW, his 4th collaboration pinch Joe Swanberg, successful which he stars other Dakota Fanning and besides produced; nan series Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed, other Tatiana Maslany, which precocious premiered connected Apple TV; and nan pickleball comedy The Dink, opposite Mary Steenburgen and Ed Harris, besides for Apple TV. He is repped by UTA and Jackoway Austen Tyerman.
Like Johnson, Wayans Jr. headlined an NBC play aviator this past season, Puzzled; it didn’t spell to series. He tin presently beryllium seen successful Scary Movie, which is starring this weekend’s container office, and precocious co-starred successful nan Netflix films Players and Kinda Pregnant, starring Amy Schumer. Wayans Jr.’s Two Shakes Entertainment banner has a producing woody astatine CBS Studios and astir precocious had Poppa’s House and Raid nan Cage on CBS. He is repped by UTA, Ziffren Brittenham and Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole.
Piarulli and Thomas, who are nether an wide woody astatine Sony TV, person been penning together for complete a decade. They were connected Sony TV’s Netflix comedy Cobra Kai for its full six-season run, joining arsenic co-producers successful Season 1 and rising to executive producers. Their erstwhile bid writing/producing credits besides include Galavant, F is for Family, Obliterated, It’s Always Sunny successful Philadelphia and nan Sony TV-produced The Tick. They are repped by CAA, Industry Entertainment Partners, and lawyer Chris Abramson..
Rosell has spent 10 seasons on It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia over 2 stints, astir of them arsenic executive producer. He besides presently co-executive produces CBS’ Ghosts. Recently, Rosell was executive producer/showrunner connected Sony TV’s Fox animated drama bid Universal Basic Guys and executive shaper connected Season 2 of FX’s Adults. His EP credits besides see FXX/Hulu’s Dave and TBS’ Chad. He is repped by UTA and Hansen, Jacobsen, Teller, Hoberman.
