Eddie Murphy Drama Loses Creator After One Month

Matthew Weiner has stepped away from the Peacock drama series 'The Chairman.' The departure comes less than a month after the project was first reported to be in development at the streamer.

Sources indicate that creative differences between Weiner and the show's producers led to the split. Eddie Murphy is attached to star in the live-action project. If the series is greenlit, it will be Murphy's first starring role in a live-action show since his time as a cast member on 'Saturday Night Live.'

The writers' room is currently on a two-week hiatus while a new showrunning team comes aboard. That replacement team is already in place, and Peacock plans to announce the new creative leads in the coming days.

Universal Television and 101 Studios will produce the series. David Glasser, the executive producer known for 'Yellowstone,' runs 101 Studios. The company holds a first-look deal with NBCUniversal that began in January. Murphy is also serving as a producer on the project.

The series marks the first project to come from Chris McCarthy's deal at NBCUniversal. McCarthy, the former Paramount boss, entered a consulting role in November 2025 to oversee the studio's relationship with Glasser and 101. Exact plot details for 'The Chairman' remain under wraps.

Weiner previously created the AMC drama 'Mad Men,' which ran for seven seasons and won 16 Emmy Awards. 'The Chairman' would have been his first TV writing credit since creating the Amazon Prime Video series 'The Romanoffs' in 2018.