Hatching Pete

Hatching Pete
Promotional poster
Written by	Paul W. Cooper
Directed by	Stuart Gillard
Starring	Jason Dolley Mitchel Musso Tiffany Thornton Josie Loren Sean O'Bryan Amy Farrington Crawford Wilson Aramis Knight Edward Herrmann Brian Stepanek
Theme music composer	Nathan Wang
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
Production
Producer(s)	Stuart Gillard Randy Sutter
Cinematography	Gordon C. Lonsdale
Editor(s)	Robin Russell
Running time	89 minutes
Distributor	Disney-ABC Domestic Television
Release
Original network	Disney Channel
Original release	April 24, 2009 (2009-04-24)

Hatching Pete is a 2009 Disney Channel Original Movie which first aired on April 24, 2009 on Disney Channel UK and later Disney Channel and Family. It was released on DVD in America on May 12, 2009 together with Dadnapped. It is the first Disney Channel Original Movie to air in the UK first. It first aired in America on April 24, 2009.

Pete Ivey (Jason Dolley) is a teenager who is extremely shy and a total introvert. While he has other friends, he prefers to keep company with his best friend Cleatus Poole (Mitchel Musso), a goofball who is exactly the opposite type and prefers to say exactly what is on his mind, no matter the consequences.

Pete runs into some frustration when his Biology teacher does not recognize him and when he finally approaches Cammie to ask her out, he struggles to get the words out, only to discover that she already has a boyfriend. Rejected, Pete goes home. His father tells him that to get Cammie's attention, he has to give her something to notice.

On their way to the Brewster High basketball game, Cleatus comes over to ask Pete for a favor. He has two problems with being the mascot; the first is that few people seem to think that he is funny, and his lackluster performances only match the team's dismal performances on the court because the team is on a losing streak (at one point, the coach even remarks that they only had 20 points in the entire previous season). Cleatus' second problem is that he has an allergy to the suit, which causes him to sneeze violently every time he puts it on. Uncomfortable with the sweating, congestion, and swelling joints that he gets whenever he dons the suit, he pleads for Pete to wear the chicken mascot suit instead. As part of the bargain, Cleatus tells Pete he will get his sister on a date with him, and he agrees.

Pete's first game as "The Chicken," gets off to a rocky start. He gets to the door and is knocked over, and initially wants to go home. However, when the audience (and cheerleaders) laugh at his recovery, he realizes he has gotten Cammie's attention and starts to be more adventurous inside the suit. The next day, Cleatus is congratulated on "his" performance as mascot, and finally noticed by his crush, head cheerleader Jamie Wynn (Tiffany Thornton), but he is nearly beaten up by the basketball team in retaliation from Pete's antics the night before. Before it gets out of hand, Cleatus is saved by Coach Mackey, who will be fired if there is no mascot. Afterwards, Cleatus comes to see Pete and asks him what he did. Because Pete cannot describe it, Cleatus decides Pete can still be the chicken while he hides in the stands. By hiding in plain sight (with a face painted in team colors and a wig), Cleatus can keep track of "The Chicken's" performances and be on standby if the two need to switch places in a hurry.