Jake Johnson, Damon Wayans Jr. Lead Hulu 'Cable Guy' Pilot
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- Jake Johnson stars as aging cable technician Chip Douglas and Damon Wayans Jr. as Steven Stephens in the untitled Hulu pilot, whose logline sees Chip's enthusiasm for a reconnected childhood friendship curdle into obsession.
- Rob Rosell, Joe Piarulli, and Luan Thomas co-wrote the pilot and serve as co-showrunners and executive producers, drawing on credits from 'New Girl,' 'Cobra Kai,' and 'F Is for Family.'
- Sony Pictures Television is the studio on the project, with Original Film's Neal H. Moritz and Pavun Shetty executive producing alongside Johnson and Wayans Jr.
- The 1996 'The Cable Guy' — starring Jim Carrey and Matthew Broderick, directed by Ben Stiller, produced by Judd Apatow — grossed over $100 million and has since become a cult favorite, per Variety.
- Johnson and Wayans Jr. previously teamed on Fox's 'New Girl' and the 2014 comedy 'Let's Be Cops,' which grossed $138 million on a $17 million budget.
- Johnson is also set to lead NBC's 'Sunset P.I.' at midseason 2026-2027 and would work on both series should the Hulu pilot go to series.
- Deadline first reported the pilot pickup; Johnson is repped by UTA and Jackoway Austen Tyerman, while Wayans is repped by UTA, Range Media Partners, Ziffren Brittenham, and Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole.
Why it matters: The reunion pairs two actors with proven streaming-friendly sitcom chemistry ('New Girl') on a concept that gives a 1996 cult hit a streaming-era update, while the Sony Pictures Television involvement signals the studio betting on a recognizable IP rather than an original premise. For Johnson, a series commitment would require balancing Hulu duties with NBC's 'Sunset P.I.' — a dual load that could constrain his availability if both move forward.
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