EMMAUS, Pa. — Lehigh Valley filmmaker and showrunner Jiah Peck will debut the entire first season of his original comedy series, “Popcorn Pushers,” at the Emmaus Theatre on Saturday, Nov. 8 at 7:30 p.m.
Set in a mob-owned movie theater, “Popcorn Pushers” follows the dysfunctional Lumbago family as they struggle to keep their cinema afloat — all while contending with violent superhero fans, secret piracy rings and their loan shark bosses.
The 13-episode season, running approximately 90 minutes in total, was co-written by J.J. Ellis and directed by Thom Peeler.
Filmed entirely in the Lehigh Valley, the series was shot primarily at the historic Emmaus Theatre, as well as Lehigh Valley Apparel Company in Bath, SteelStacks in Bethlehem, and various locations in Nazareth and Pennsburg. The cast and crew of about 60 were made up of local talent from the Lehigh Valley and Philadelphia, including many active members of the region’s comedy community.
To capture the show’s unique look, the production team even built a miniature wooden movie theater to serve as the series’ fictional Wing Theatre.
“This show was a passion project 15 years in the making, and I couldn’t be happier with what we’ve accomplished with this first season,” said Peck, a sketch comedy writer and director who regularly produces live shows and videos with his team, Pigeon City. “Having worked in both a big multiplex and a small art house theater, I always wanted to make a show that reflected all those fun experiences we had between screening, cleaning and pushing popcorn. While I never had a mafioso manager, we found adding that extra layer of intrigue and danger helped the show find a unique sense of humor.”
Peck added that a second season is already in development.
The ensemble cast includes Steven Bost (“The Valleyweird Squares”), Anthony DeSanctis (“The Sequel Show”), J.J. Ellis (“Pigeon City”), Terrence Haynes (“Pigeon City”), Gabrielle Huggins (“The Clique”), Evan Stutts (“We’re Good, You’re Great”), Erica Sylvester (“Synced Up”), Danielle Tampier (“Synced Up”), Lisa VanArsdale (“Lisa Joins a Cult”) and Justin Vrona (“SteelStacks Improv House Teams”).
A trailer for season one is available online, and the series is set to premiere on social media platforms in early 2026.
