Eddie Murphy is attached to star in The Chairman, a drama in development at Peacock created by Matthew Weiner. The project has not been ordered to series, but if it moves forward it would mark Murphy’s first role in a live-action scripted series.
Plot details have not been announced. Universal Television and 101 Studios are producing, and Murphy and Weiner are both attached as producers.
The package points to Peacock’s originals pipeline
The casting is the attention-grabber, but the producing structure says more about NBCUniversal’s streaming ambitions. 101 Studios is run by Yellowstone executive producer David Glasser and has a first-look film and television deal with NBCUniversal that began in January. The Chairman would also be the first project linked to former Paramount boss Chris McCarthy’s NBCUniversal consulting role, first reported in November 2025, focused on the studio’s relationship with Glasser and 101.
That combination gives Peacock a package built around a movie star and a prestige showrunner, while tying the project to a broader production pipeline.
What Murphy and Weiner bring
Murphy’s career began with four seasons on Saturday Night Live from 1980 to 1984. Since then, he has largely stayed in comedy specials and film; his only scripted TV credit is voice work on The PJs, the animated series he co-created. A live-action drama would open a new lane for audiences that know him from Beverly Hills Cop, Coming to America, Dreamgirls and Dolemite Is My Name.
Weiner created and ran Mad Men for seven seasons on AMC, and was a writer and executive producer on The Sopranos. He also created Amazon Prime Video’s anthology The Romanoffs. That resume helps Peacock position The Chairman as premium drama rather than a simple star vehicle.
Why media buyers should treat this as a signal, not inventory
For entertainment marketers and planners, a development announcement is a planning signal, not a commitment. No plot, greenlight or airdate is confirmed, so the project should not yet be counted as upcoming ad inventory or sponsorship real estate.
But the package does reveal where Peacock is placing its development bets:
- Peacock is prioritizing originals built around proven, older-skewing talent.
- NBCUniversal is using the 101 Studios relationship to feed the streaming slate.
- Chris McCarthy’s consulting arrangement is beginning to produce visible project activity.
- Premium drama remains a priority for subscriber and ad-supported positioning even before a series order.
The next milestone to watch is a formal series order. Until then, brands should keep the title on a watch list but avoid building plans around it.
The wider streaming read
A development package of this scale can function as both a subscriber-acquisition flag and a premium advertising story, particularly if it attracts the audience profile that Weiner’s work tends to draw. For competitors, it tests whether a movie star without live-action TV history can drive retention in a market where library depth and content velocity often matter more than a single series.
Source: Variety
