Hollywood icon Eddie Murphy is set to break new ground in his legendary career by starring in his first-ever scripted television series. The project, titled The Chairman, is currently in development at Peacock and brings together two industry heavyweights: Murphy and the acclaimed creator of Mad Men, Matthew Weiner. While Murphy famously launched his career on Saturday Night Live and has starred in nearly 40 feature films including Beverly Hills Cop and Coming to America, this series marks his debut as the lead of a scripted TV show.
Although Murphy has dipped his toes into television production before—having created the 1990s projects The PJs and The Royal Family—he has never taken on a leading acting role in a scripted series until now. Specific plot details and information regarding the character Murphy will portray remain under wraps, but the collaboration is already generating buzz. Weiner, who also served as a writer and executive producer on the iconic HBO series The Sopranos, is writing and executive producing the show, marking his return to scripted television since his 2018 project The Romanoffs.
The Chairman is being produced by 101 Studios and Universal Television. This venture represents a significant milestone for 101 Studios and Chris McCarthy, serving as their first series since entering into deals with NBCUniversal last year. The production house, led by David Glasser, is well-regarded for hits like Landman and MobLand. Murphy, who recently appeared in the Netflix documentary Being Eddie and starred in Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, is also keeping busy on the big screen with Shrek 5 currently slated for a release next year.