At the 60th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, producer Greg Shapiro confirmed that a fourth Harold & Kumar film is in the works, with the screenplay currently being written and the original cast returning. Speaking alongside Nomadland producer Mollye Asher during the festival's Industry Days programme, Shapiro said he hoped shooting would begin soon, offering rare news on a comedy franchise whose future had long been uncertain.

Shapiro, who also produced the Oscar-winning war film The Hurt Locker, drew a playful comparison between that intense drama and the low-brow stoner comedy, saying he thought of them as "kind of the same movie" because he loved working on both. He also reflected on behind-the-scenes casting battles, arguing that "movies are a series of compromises" and that studios are sometimes right to override a director's vision. He voiced optimism about the box office, citing the success of Gen Z-made films such as Backrooms and Obsession as evidence that younger audiences can be drawn back to cinemas.