A leading star fromThis Is Ushas joined creator Dan Fogelman for his new Hulu drama. It’s been three years sinceThis Is Usconcluded, marking an end for one of the most popular family dramas of the past decade. In that time, Fogelman has reunited with actor Sterling K. Brown on the breakout genre-mashing thrillerParadise, which is returning for season 2.
Fogelman has another drama set at Hulu, focusing on the world of football. The project is taking steps forward after being first announced in October 2024. The cast already includes a few familiar faces, though the latest will be particularly noteworthy toThis Is Usfans.
Varietyconfirms that Mandy Moore has joined Fogelman’s football drama at Hulu. The Emmy nominee, who played Rebecca Pearson, joins previously confirmed cast members Christopher Meloni (Law & Order: SVU) and William H. Macy (Shameless). Although plot specifics of the project are largely under wraps, preliminary character details have been unveiled.
What This Means For Fogelman’s New Show
Moore is set to play the daughter of the team owner, played by Macy, while Meloni will play the head coach. For now, further information is being kept hidden. But it is known that the story centers on the world of the NFL and includes a generational family component. Reports have indicated that Moore’s character is named Lauren and will take over after her father.
It’s a good fit for Meloni, as theLaw & Orderalum was the quarterback of his high school team at St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes School in Virginia. In 2017, he was inducted along with his team into that school’s Hall of Fame.
Mandy Moore
Lauren, the daughter of the team owner.
Rebecca Pearson (This Is Us), Rapunzel (Tangled), Jamie Sullivan (A Walk to Remember)
Christopher Meloni
Head coach of the NFL team.
Elliot Stabler (Law & Order: SVU), Chris Keller (Oz), Chris (Wet Hot American Summer)
It also makes sense for Moore. Football was always important to thePearson family, serving as a recurring theme throughout the NBC drama. The generational family element also has strong links toThis Is Us, which may well appeal to fans of the long-running hit series.
The project will be written by Fogelman, who will executive produce alongside Jess Rosenthal, David Ellison, Jesse Sisgold, and Jason T. Reed for Skydance Sports in the 20th Television production. Moore, an Emmy nominee for herThis Is Usperformance,will next be seen inThe Breadwinneropposite Nate Bargatze.
Our Take On The New NFL Show
Although speculative at this point, it will be interesting to see if the new show keeps up the tradition that Fogelman has managed so well of different timelines and flashbacks. It illuminated theThis Is Usending, powersParadise, and could do the same in the NFL world.
This Is Us
Cast
This Is Us chronicles the Pearson family across the decades: from Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) and Rebecca (Mandy Moore) as young parents in the 1980s to their 37-year-old kids, Kevin (Justin Hartley), Kate (Chrissy Metz) and Randall (Sterling K. Brown) searching for love and fulfillment in the present day. This grounded, life-affirming dramedy reveals how the tiniest events in our lives impact who people become and how the connections people share with each other can transcend time, distance, and even death.
