Have you ever walked by a Hooters restaurant and thought to yourself, “What genius paired chicken wings with human breasts?” Well, you’re in luck! Hooters: The Movie will dive into the history of the eatery.
The upcoming film is directed by Emmy nominee Jon Rosenbaum (Woody Woodpecker Goes to Camp), from a screenplay by Phil Olson, Chuck Melcher, and company co-founder Ed Droste.
Inspired by the true founding of the restaurant chain, Hooters: The Movie tells the story of lifelong friends Ted and Lenny. When Ted sees a woman named Diane in a spring break commercial, it’s infatuation at first sight. He soon talks his pal Lenny into joining him on a cross-country trip from their small town in Iowa to Clearwater Beach, Florida. Together, they’re on a journey to launch the company, with Diane becoming the first Hooters Girl.
Hooters: The Movie
“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,” said Droste, who writes and produces. “There’s a lot of drama, but a lot of heart and fun too. And of course, our world-famous Hooters Girls are the real stars. For over 40 years Hooters has been America’s oasis in good times and bad. It’s time to deliver a taste of our big-hearted culture and famous humor to the world.”
“From the moment I first learned the Hooters origin story, I knew it would make an incredible movie,” Rosenbaum explains. “It’s the perfect combination of a hilarious buddy comedy and an inspiring biopic for a beloved American brand: Two lifelong friends with no idea what they’re getting themselves into, a crazy idea they’re willing to bet everything on, and a wild journey that culminates in the creation of something bigger than they could ever have imagined. It’s not at all what people will be expecting – and it’s mostly true! I can’t wait to bring this story to life.”
Development
Casting for the film is currently underway, which we are sure will be hard with the current shortage of attractive women looking to be in movies. Production is currently slated to start in November in Tampa/Clearwater.
With the first location opening in 1983, Hooters has suffered no shortage of controversies over its decades-long run. When your restaurants are built around staffing attractive young women almost exclusively, hiring discrimination lawsuits come out of the woodwork. Not to mention countless court rulings about sexual harassment by customers and management. The chain restaurant filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2025, closing many “underperforming” locations. The company cited rising costs with declining sales as the reason. We are sure its reputation for subpar food was not involved.
There is currently no set release date for Hooters: The Movie. We’ll keep you posted on updates as the project develops.
