Hollywood actor Eddie Murphy is set to make his scripted television series debut with The Chairman, a drama in development at Peacock from Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner, Deadline reported.
Murphy, known for films including Beverly Hills Cop and Coming to America, will star in the series, marking his first leading role in a scripted television show.
The actor began his career on Saturday Night Live and has appeared in around 40 films since making his feature debut in 48 Hrs. However, he has never headlined a scripted series.
Murphy previously created two television shows in the 1990s, the animated comedy The PJs for Fox and The Royal Family for CBS, but The Chairman will mark his first starring role in a scripted series.
Details about the plot and Murphy’s character have not yet been disclosed. Weiner is writing and executive producing the project. The series marks his return to scripted television following The Romanoffs, which was released by Amazon in 2018.
Murphy and Weiner will also executive produce the series.
The Chairman comes from 101 Studios and Universal Television. The project marks the first series for 101 Studios and longtime collaborator Chris McCarthy since they entered into deals with NBCUniversal last year, alongside Taylor Sheridan’s move to the company, according to Deadline.
The David Glasser-run 101 Studios is known for producing series including Landman and MobLand. The company’s deal began in January this year.
Murphy recently appeared in the Netflix documentary Being Eddie, directed by Angus Wall and released last year.
His recent films include The Pickup, released through Amazon last year, and Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F. His next film is Shrek 5, which is scheduled to release next year.
Weiner previously worked as a writer and executive producer on HBO’s acclaimed series The Sopranos before creating Mad Men, which ran for seven seasons, according to Deadline. (ANI)
Source: Khaleej Times