The name is Powers. Powers of Chad. And she’s coming back (coming back) to a screen near you.
Hulu has ordered Eli Manning’s character “Chad Powers” to be turned into his own comedy series, according to a press release from the company. Manning created and transformed Powers for an episode of his docuseries “Eli’s Places” after Manning’s curiosity about the walk-on process in college football led him to try out at Penn State under an alias and disguise. With the help of a special effects artist and a Matthew McConaughey-like character, Manning successfully attempted to become a Nittany Lion. He almost made it, too, as Penn State assistants took a natural liking to the two-time Super Bowl champion before coach James Franklin, the only person apparently aware of Manning’s true identity, Powers revealed at the end of the auditions.
The episode aired on ESPN in September 2022. It was produced by Peyton Manning’s media company, Omaha Productions.
“The love of Chad Powers has surprised me in spectacular ways,” Manning said in a statement. “I played 16 years in the NFL, but now, when I’m in a restaurant or walking through an airport, it’s not uncommon for fans to yell, ‘Hey Chad!’”
The new series will be written and created by Glen Powell, the actor who played Jake “Hangman” Seresin in the hit film “Top Gun: Maverick,” and writer/producer Michael Waldron, known for “Loki” and “Rick and Morty.” Both will serve as executive producers alongside Peyton Manning, Jamie Horowitz and Ben Brown of ESPN and Omaha Productions.
“I hope Glen is working on his QB skills, I saw him throw a football in Maverick…he has work to do!!” Crew said about Xformerly known as Twitter, Thursday.
In Hulu’s new series, bad behavior dismantles quarterback Russ Holliday’s college career, forcing him to go undercover and join a struggling Southern football team as the charming Chad Powers.
“We are both diehard college football fans,” Powell and Waldron said in the release. “When we saw Eli as Chad Powers, we knew this was the path to a big, fun story about this world. We are excited to be a part of this team and can’t wait to get Chad into the game. “Think fast, run fast.”
Get ready to think fast, run fast, @glenpowell. pic.twitter.com/nLNf5COZ3E
— Omaha Productions (@OmahaProd) February 22, 2024
This is yet another media venture by the Manning brothers. Ahead of the 2023 season, both Peyton and Eli Manning have announced their own “Monday Night Football” alternate telecast on ESPN2 in partnership with Omaha Productions.
The release date for the Hulu series hasn’t been announced yet, so get ready to think fast, run faster on a screen near you.
(Photo: Amir Hamja/Bloomberg via Getty Images)