Connie Britton To Star In ‘Phony’ Comedy Pilot Ordered By Hulu With Nick Paley Writing & Directing, Drew Goddard Producing
Hulu has greenlighted Phony, a comedy pilot starring and executive produced by Connie Britton, from Drew Goddard’s Goddard Textiles and 20th Television.
Written, directed and executive produced by Nick Paley (Marcel The Shell With Shoes On), Phony is a comedic coming-of-age mystery about a teenager, Sonny, who wakes up in the hospital after a car accident to discover his mom — his only parent and his best friend — appears to have been replaced by an impostor.
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Britton will play Sonny’s single mom Ellen and the principal of his high school.
The pilot brings Britton back to her comedy roots — she started her career with an arc on Ellen before landing a lead role opposite Michael J. Fox on Spin City.
Britton and Paley executive produce Phony alongside Charlie Alderman of Charlie’s Production Company and Drew Goddard and Sarah Esberg via Goddard Textiles. Goddard Textiles’ Andrea Massaro is a producer.
The project falls under Goddard Textiles’ first-look deal at 20th Television. Goddard originally signed an overall deal with 20th TV in 2019, which soon moved to sibling ABC Signature. Under the deal, Goddard created and executive produces ABC’s breakout hit new crime drama High Potential. After the pact ended earlier this year, Goddard met with a few places before signing a first-look deal at ABC Signature, which is being transferred to 20th TV as ABC Signature was recently folded into the larger studio.
Hulu, which counts mystery comedy Only Murders In The Building as one of its signature, most popular series, has been beefing up its comedy development efforts. This is the third comedy pilot order this year following Mid-Century Modern, starring Nathan Lane, Matt Bomer & Linda Lavin, which already has been picked up to series, and Downforce, starring Eve Hewson and Murray Bartlett, which recently wrapped production.
Friday Night Lights alumna Britton recently starred in Apple TV+’s Dear Edward. She also starred in the first season of the Mike White’s HBO series The White Lotus, which earned her fifth Emmy nomination, and the first installment of Bravo/USA’s anthology series Dirty John. In film, Britton can be seen in the Here After and Winner, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. She is repped by CAA, Untitled Entertainment and Hansen, Jacobson, Teller.
Paley co-wrote the Oscar-nominated 2021 animated film Marcel the Shell with Shoes On and directed on Broad City. He is repped by Entertainment 360.
On the film side, Goddard recently wrote the upcoming sci-fi movie Project Hail Mary, directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller and starring Ryan Gosling. He is repped by UTA.
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