In yet another unexpected 2020 twist, Lifetime announced Monday that it would be airing a “mini-movie” in partnership with KFC restaurants with Mario Lopez portraying Colonel Sanders.
Lopez trended on Twitter Monday as people seemed both amused and bewildered by the announcement. Lifetime tweeted an image of a bespectacled Lopez with gray hair and mustache to resemble the famed fried chicken mogul.
Lifetime confirmed to NBC News on Monday that the project is real and the 15-minute “mini-movie” will air on Sunday at noon. The network, a subsidiary of A&E Networks, said in press release that “A Recipe for Seduction” is the channel's first custom branded content and will be part of Lifetime’s “It’s a Wonderful Lifetime” lineup.
Lopez will play Harland Sanders in the 15-minute drama, a chef with a “secret fried chicken recipe and a dream,” according to the trailer. The plot will center around Sanders and a young heiress who falls for him as he begins to work for the affluent family.
Social media users were quick to comment about the project, adding the KFC-branded romance to the list of 2020 surprises.
The project will be paired with an Uber Eats promotion, that offers customers free extra crispy tenders with an order of $20 or more on the delivery platform.