In a world where streaming services are engaged in a war for the most original content possible, you would think that any type of franchise or IP that is even remotely popular would be ripe for revival. And a film franchise that seems perfectly positioned for a streaming rejuvenation is the “Harold & Kumar” series. Well, according to Kal Penn, one of the stars, everyone involved with the popular stoner comedies would love to make another.
Speaking to Variety, Penn was asked about the potential of making a fourth “Harold & Kumar” film. The actor not only said that he’d be happy to make a fourth film, but that his co-star John Cho, along with filmmakers Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg, are down as well.
“We would love to do a fourth movie,” Penn said. “John Cho and I text about it all the time. Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg — who created and wrote all three movies in the franchise — we all would love to do one. I think we all, thankfully, have the blessing of being really busy right now and want to find the right venue and the right timing.”
The first three (2004’s “Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle,” 2008’s “Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay,” and 2011’s “A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas”) are all low-budget comedy films that found a decent audience at the box office and have become cult classics amongst a very particular type of viewer that enjoys smoking a certain substance before watching.
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He added, “We keep talking about it and are hoping in the next year or so to be able to find a good home. So, if anyone’s reading this and wants it, let us know.”
Seriously, the idea of a streaming company coming along and purchasing the rights to a fourth “Harold & Kumar” seems like a no-brainer. All three of the films were made with a combined budget of around $40 million and earned more than double that at the box office, pointing to a real fanbase. Of course, it has been almost 10 years since 2011’s ‘3D Christmas,’ so perhaps the stoners that enjoyed the film may have grown up and moved on? Eh, not likely.