When a movie does well, there is always the chance a sequel will be made. First there was Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle. It did well enough at the box office. Then there was Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay. It performed favorably at the box office. Both movies brought home the bacon, so what next? With the chance of more dollar signs to be made, A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas has been greenlighted. What was once a roll of the dice on a film nobody was sure would succeed has turned into a franchise. Many of the folks involved are now rising stars in the entertainment industry.
In July of 2004, New Line produced Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle for about $9 million. The petite film did really well against expectations and grossed a worldwide total of almost $24 million. It became a cult hit and made $30 million more in DVD sales. It didn't rely on big name actors, crazy action sequences, or an elaborate plot to entertain audiences. Its humor delivered a worthy movie for audiences and an awful lot of money for the New Line.
In April of 2008, New Line brought Harold and Kumar back to the big screen. This time, a little more purse was devoted to the making of the movie. Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay was made on a $12 million budget and performed incredibly well at the box office. The film capitalized on the political situation and press surrounding Guantanamo to the tune of nearly $43.5 million. New Line got quite the return on its investment.
A third movie involving the same characters will be coming to a theater near you...eventually. In theory, A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas will reunite nearly all of the creative team that was involved in passing the pipe for the first two film. The studio will no doubt hope their involvement will keep the party going and bring in some serious coin once more.
The stars have been aligning for much of the talent involved and Warner Bros. (which took in New Line) will likely be able to cash in nicely. Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg wrote the first two movies in the franchise, and also penned the rewrite of Scary Movie 3 in 2003. Their influence and talent were strong enough they took the director's chair from Danny Leiner after the first Harold and Kumar film. They directed the sequel and will direct A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas.
The principle actors involved have enjoyed wide ranging success since the first Harold and Kumar flick. John Cho, who played Harold, was involved in several acting projects in the late 1990s and at the beginning of the decade. He had a memorable role in the American Pie movies. He has been in and out of films and television for the last several years and reached new stardom when he took on the role of Sulu in the re-launch of the Star Trek franchise in May of 2009. Kal Penn, who plays Kumar, has seen his stock soaring in recent years. While he was involved in many projects before he took on the role of Kumar opportunities have been numerous. He had roles in Superman Returns, The Namesake, and Epic Movie. Penn has also had various roles on television including a stint on the show 24, Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, and most recently, Fox's House. Penn most recently moved into the arena of politics. He became Associate Director of the White House Office of Public Liaison for the Obama administration. This move to politics does put into question when Harold and Kumar 3 might see the light of day, but it remains on the studio's wish list to be sure. (Jason Barney/BOP)
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