A Hooters movie is in the works: a buddy comedy about the restaurant chain’s origin story, produced by the people who founded it and set to film in Florida this November. Deadline reported the project on 28 August.
The film centres on Ted and Lenny, two lifelong friends from a small Iowa town who accidentally launch a national restaurant empire, only to find everything they built threatened by the federal government. Ted becomes infatuated with Diane after seeing her in a spring break commercial, and talks a hesitant Lenny into a road trip to Clearwater Beach. Diane later becomes the very first Hooters Girl. IGN picked up the story on the same day.
Who is making the Hooters movie?
Jon Rosenbaum, an Emmy-nominated filmmaker whose credits include Woody Woodpecker Goes to Camp and Benchwarmers 2, directs from a screenplay by Ed Droste, Phil Olson and Chuck Melcher. Casting is underway, led by Lisa London and Catherine Stroud of London/Stroud Casting.
“I think people are going to enjoy watching how we were really just some guys who didn’t know what we were doing, but had a great time doing it.”
“From the moment I first learned the Hooters origin story, I knew it would make an incredible movie. It’s the perfect combination of a hilarious buddy comedy and an inspiring biopic for a beloved American brand.”
Ed Droste, Hooters co-founder and producer
The real origin story
Hooters was incorporated in 1983 by six businessmen with no restaurant experience between them. The chain’s own account has the “Hooters Six” opening the first location at 2800 Gulf-To-Bay Boulevard in Clearwater, and the name coming from what else brings a gleam to a man’s eye besides beer, chicken wings and the occasional winning football season. They were, it says, into owls.
Production is eyed for November, filming primarily in the Tampa/Clearwater area where the chain began. The project lands alongside a busy stretch of in-development film news, from the Sleeping Dogs movie, which now has a director and a studio, to the Jeff the Killer movie in development from Tongal.
Is there really a Hooters movie?
Yes. Hooters: The Movie is a buddy comedy about the chain’s origin story, produced by its founding partners and set to film this November.
Who is making Hooters: The Movie?
Emmy-nominated filmmaker Jon Rosenbaum directs from a screenplay by Ed Droste, Phil Olson and Chuck Melcher. Casting is underway, led by Lisa London and Catherine Stroud.
When does Hooters: The Movie come out?
No release date has been announced. Production is eyed for November 2026, filming primarily in the Tampa/Clearwater area where the chain began.
