Connie Britton is set to star in “Phony,” a comedy pilot ordered by Hulu. The series will be executive produced by Britton and comes from Drew Goddard‘s Goddard Textiles as well as 20th Television, according to multiple media reports.
Nick Paley, best known for his work on “Marcel the Shell With Shoes On,” will serve as the writer, director and executive producer of the project.
The series is being described as a coming-of-age mystery about a teenager. After a car accident, Sonny wakes up in a hospital bed only to discover his mom and best friend has been replaced by an imposter. Britton will play Ellen, Sonny’s single mom as well as the principal of his high school.
“Phony” will be executive produced by Britton and Paley. Other EPs include Charlie Alderman of Charlie’s Production Company as well as Goddard and Sarah Esberg for Goddard Textiles. Andrea Massaro, who also works for Goddard Textiles, serves as a producer.
Though Goddard is best known for his work in the horror space, he has dabbled in genre-bending comedies. He began his career writing for shows like The WB’s “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” as well as ABC’s “Alias” and “Lost.” After moving into screenwriting, he became known in the mid 2000s and 2010s for blockbuster hits such as “Cloverfield,” “The Cabin in the Woods” and “The Martian.” The latter earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay.
In more recent years, Goddard wrote and executive produced Netflix’s Marvel series “Daredevil” and “The Defenders.” He also directed and executive produced on NBC’s “The Good Place” and currently serves as a writer and EP for ABC’s “High Potential” starring Kaitlin Olson.
Both “High Potential” and “Phony” fall under Goddard Textiles’ first-look deal with 20th Television. The deal was originally signed in 2019. When Disney acquired several Fox properties, including 20th TV, the deal was moved to ABC Signature.
