Harold & Kumar 4 moving ahead with John Cho and Kal Penn returning
Developed over time first seen 3 months ago
Producer Greg Shapiro has confirmed that a fourth instalment in the "Harold & Kumar" stoner comedy franchise is progressing, with original stars John Cho and Kal Penn set to return. Speaking at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival, Shapiro said the key players from the series are on board and that a screenplay is currently being written, adding that he hopes shooting will begin soon.
The original writers, Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg, are attached to direct and will co-write the script with Josh Heald, producing through their Counterbalance Entertainment banner alongside Shapiro, Mandate Pictures and Nathan Kahane. The franchise began with 2004's "Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle" and spawned two sequels, "Escape from Guantanamo Bay" (2008) and "A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas" (2011). Shapiro also noted that he produced the second film around the same time as "The Hurt Locker", which went on to win six Oscars.
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Harold & Kumar is a stoner comedy franchise that began in 2004 with "Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle", starring John Cho and Kal Penn as two friends whose misadventures usually stem from a simple late-night mission spiralling out of control. It spawned two further films, "Escape from Guantanamo Bay" in 2008 and "A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas" in 2011, and has built a cult following over the two decades since.
Producer Greg Shapiro is the key figure behind this update, having worked on the earlier films, while Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg, who wrote the originals, are attached to direct a fourth instalment and co-write it with Josh Heald. Their production company Counterbalance Entertainment is working alongside Mandate Pictures and Nathan Kahane on the project.
This matters to fans of the series because it would reunite the original stars and writing team after a fourteen-year gap since the last film, at a time when Hollywood has often revisited older comedy franchises. The film is still at script stage, with no confirmed shooting date or studio release plan.
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Originally published by Variety as “‘Harold & Kumar 4’ on Track and ‘Everybody’s Back,’ Producer Greg Shapiro Says: ‘Hopefully We Should Be Shooting It Soon’”.