Eddie Murphy‘s first scripted show faces a production setback as the show’s originally attached showrunner departs. However, the Peacock series has already tapped a new showrunning team, which is expected to be revealed in the coming days. The development comes just a few days after the scripted series was announced.
Eddie Murphy’s The Chairman loses its showrunner
According to sources, Matthew Weiner, who was attached to Murphy’s The Chairman as a showrunner, is no longer involved in the project. It has been learned that creative differences among executives at Weiner, Peacock, Universal TV, and 101 Studios led to his ultimate exit.
Deadline reports that Weiner was hired to develop and write an idea that had already been pitched to Murphy. However, his creative take on the project differed from Murphy’s original version.
Following Weiner’s departure, a new showrunning team has already been tapped. By the time the team is onboarded, the show’s writers’ room is currently on a 2-week hiatus. At the time of writing, the details about the plot of the scripted series remain undisclosed.
Apart from starring in the series, Murphy will also serve as a producer. The series will be the first project under McCarthy’s deal with NBCUniversal following his exit from Paramount. It remains unclear as to who’s replacing Weiner as a showrunner.
Weiner is best known for creating AMC’s Mad Men and Amazon Prime Video’s The Romanoff. Before being hired for Murphy’s series, he made a cameo as Matthew in the legal drama Goliath. On the other hand, Murphy was involved in the film The Pickup recently, where he played Russell Pierce.
Moreover, he also appeared in SNL50: The Anniversary Special. Apart from The Chairman, Murphy is part of other projects. These include an upcoming comedy film from Amazon MGM Studios, Attachment Parenting, Shrek 5, The Pink Panther, and Playas Ball.
