Hulu Lands Mary Beth Barone Rom-Com Hard Feelings With Benito Skinner
Hulu has beaten rivals to Hard Feelings, a romantic comedy series created by comedian Mary Beth Barone, as reported by Deadline on 16 September 2026.
Barone wrote the series and will star as the lead. It is her first turn as a series creator. Benito Skinner will co-star in a supporting role. The project comes from studio A24.
Hulu picked up the show in a competitive situation, meaning more than one buyer wanted it. It is now on fast-track development, meaning the streamer is moving it forward quickly.
The story centres on Claire Ambrose, played by Barone. Claire is a dating consultant in New York City, sought after for coaching straight men in communication skills and emotional intelligence. Her own dating life looks different. She dates men who have neither.
Scott King will serve as showrunner, the person who leads the writers and day-to-day production. King, Barone, Skinner, Mackenzie Roussos of E360 and A24 will executive produce.
For viewers, this means a familiar pairing stays together. Barone and Skinner already work together on the Prime Video comedy Overcompensating, which also comes from A24. Skinner is the creator, star and executive producer of that series. Barone is a writer on it.
In the first season of Overcompensating, Barone played Benny’s older sister, as reported by Deadline. Adam DiMarco played her campus-legend boyfriend. Production on the second season of Overcompensating recently wrapped.
The pair also co-host the podcast Ride. Barone released her hour-long comedy special Galaxy Brain on Netflix in July, with a comedy album version following in August via Universal Music’s MCA. Her self-produced first stand-up special, Thought Provoking, came out in 2024. Skinner’s film Idiotka premiered at the 2025 SXSW Film Festival.
