Hatching Pete (2009): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 2009, Hatching Pete is a comedy, family and tv movie film directed by Stuart Gillard, running about 90 minutes. “Cock-a-doodle-who????” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. Pete Ivey (Jason Dolley) is the type of guy who's easily overlooked in the school halls -- unlike his boisterous best friend, Cleatus Poole (Mitchel Musso), who's proudly carrying on the family tradition of spreading school spirit as the spirited Brewster High chicken. But when the costume prompts an allergy attack, Poole begs Pete to take his place at center court; the resulting anonymity frees Pete to discover his inner star. Trouble is, it's Poole who's getting all the attention from fans, who think he's the one behind the mask. Meanwhile, Pete's attempts to get noticed by pretty new girl Angela (Josie Loren) are complicated by the fact that she's also entranced with the mysterious man in the chicken suit. In the end, Pete must decide whether facing the possibility of rejection is worth revealing himself for what -- and who -- he really is.

Who’s in it. Hatching Pete stars Jason Dolley as Pete Ivey, Mitchel Musso as Cleatis Poole, Tiffany Thornton as Jamie Wynn and Josie Loren as Angela Morrissey, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 5.5/10, Hatching Pete has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

Where to watch. In US you can stream it on Disney Plus and rent or buy it from Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube and Fandango At Home. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Hatching Pete page.

If you liked it. Fans of Hatching Pete tend to enjoy Forrest Gump, Parasite, Life Is Beautiful and Fight Club.