Ben Stiller’s Iconic 30-Year-Old Comedy Inspires A New Hulu Series With First Two Leads Confirmed

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I just heard some really fun news! Apparently, Hulu is getting inspired by Ben Stiller’s classic movie from way back – the one that’s thirty years old now! – and they’re actually planning a reunion connected to it. As a film buff, that’s exciting!

Ben Stiller is famous for his work on the Apple TV series Severance and directing comedies like Zoolander and Tropic Thunder. However, he made two films in the early to mid-1990s that really resonated with Generation X and Millennials. One was Reality Bites, featuring Ethan Hawke and Winona Ryder, and the other is now being considered for a new series on Hulu.

According to Deadline, Hulu is developing a comedy pilot based on the 1996 film The Cable Guy, starring Jim Carrey and directed by Ben Stiller. Jake Johnson and Damon Wayans Jr., known for their roles together on the sitcom New Girl, will star in and executive produce the new series.

The new show is written by Rob Rossell, known for his work on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and Joe Piarulli & Luan Thomas, the team behind Cobra Kai. They’re all fans of the original 1996 movie and aim to pay tribute to it, rather than simply recreate it. Here’s a preview of the show’s premise and how it’s been updated for streaming audiences:

With so many streaming options available, cable technician Chip Douglas (Johnson) feels isolated until a reconnection request from Steven Stephens (Wayans Jr.) sparks a surprising reunion with a friend from his past. Their renewed friendship fills a void for both of them—but Chip’s excitement soon becomes overwhelming. The show, based on the movie, delves into the strange and often unsettling realities of male friendships today.

This project comes from Sony Pictures Television, the same studio that released the movie it’s based on back in the mid-1990s. Rosell, Piarulli, and Thomas will lead the show creatively and as executive producers, joining Dwayne Johnson, Marlon Wayans Jr., Neal H. Moritz, and Pavun Shetty from Original Film in that role.

Directed by Ben Stiller and produced by Judd Apatow, this dark comedy, written by Lou Holtz Jr., first introduced audiences to Jim Carrey’s character, Chip Douglas – a quirky cable installer who becomes fixated on one of his customers, played by Matthew Broderick. While made with a $47 million budget and earning $102.8 million in theaters, it didn’t perform as well as some of Carrey’s bigger hits, it has since become a beloved cult classic.

Leslie Mann, George Segal, Diane Baker, and Jack Black appear alongside Jim Carrey in The Cable Guy. When it was first released, critics had a mixed reaction to the darkly comedic film. However, over time, and with frequent showings on cable TV, the movie has gained a stronger following. It’s now seen as one of the first instances of Carrey playing a character who wasn’t simply funny and charming.

Johnson is developing a new, currently unnamed series for Hulu while also starring in and executive producing the NBC comedy Sunset P.I., which comes from the team behind Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Reports indicate he’ll be able to work on both shows and again collaborate with Marlon Wayans, his former New Girl co-star. Though they previously played Nick Miller and Coach, this new streaming series, inspired by The Cable Guy, is expected to present a surprising and different side of both actors.

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2026-06-05 22:21