{
  "id": 4057808,
  "title": "The Founders of Hooters Are Making a Buddy-Comedy Movie About the Restaurant Chain's Origin Story",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/28/the-founders-of-hooters-are-making-a-buddy-comedy-movie-about-the",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-28T23:00:13.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "IGN",
    "slug": "ign",
    "url": "https://www.ign.com/articles/the-founders-of-hooters-are-making-a-buddy-comedy-movie-about-the-restaurant-chains-origin-story"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Hooters: The Movie is currently in the pre-production phase, with several of the restaurant chain's original founders playing crucial roles. According to Deadline, the film draws inspiration from the \"real events\" that led to Hooters' creation, focusing on best friends Ted and Lenny who built a massive empire around their famous \"breastaurant\" concept. However, their hard work is threatened by the US government. The story also features Ted's romance with Diane, whom he meets after seeing her in a TV commercial, and convinces Lenny to drive down to Florida to recruit her as the first Hooters Girl. The film is described as a blend of buddy comedy and biopic, chronicling the \"wild journey\" behind the birth of the iconic American eatery. One of Hooters' co-founders, Edward Droste, is involved in both producing the film and co-writing the screenplay. Jon Rosenbaum, known for directing Benchwarmers 2: Breaking Balls, is set to helm the project. Casting has already begun, and filming is slated to start in November in Florida's Tampa and Clearwater areas, where Hooters made its debut in 1983. Droste expressed his excitement, believing that audiences will appreciate the tale of ordinary guys who found joy and success in their venture, with Diane as the standout star of the film. Rosenbaum, who found the origin story \"awesome,\" described it as a unique mix of buddy comedy and inspiring biopic, capturing the essence of two friends who embarked on a daring adventure to create something extraordinary. Hooters, a casual dining and sports bar chain, is renowned for its wings and attractive waitresses often dressed in white t-shirts and orange shorts. The chain originally had six founders, including Lynn D. Stewart, Gil DiGiannantonio, Ed Droste, Billy Ranieri, Ken Wimmer, and Dennis Johnson. As of now, there are approximately 200 locations in the US and 60 internationally, including the Bahamas, Czech Republic, Japan, and Switzerland.",
  "summary": "Yep, you read that right. Hooters: The Movie is in the early stages of pre-production, and some of the chain’s original founders are directly involved.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}