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Valderrama in Big Screen CHiPs
Source: Variety, December 8, 2005
Warner Bros. Pictures is adapting TV series CHiPs for the big screen and has hired Wilmer Valderrama (That '70s Show) to reprise the role of "Ponch," a part immortalized by Erik Estrada. Variety says TV showrunners Paul Kaplan and Mark Torgove will write the screenplay.
CHiPs, created by Rick Rosner and running from 1977 to 1983, followed the pursuits of California highway patrol officers Francis Llewellyn Poncherello and Jon Baker, played by Larry Wilcox, from 1977-1982.
The feature version, however, will be much more lighthearted, an action comedy like Warner Bros.' Starsky & Hutch adaptation.
Warners still has to cast the role of Baker, as well as bring on a director
Valderrama on the Big Screen CHiPs
Source: Heather Newgen, May 2, 2006
Get ready to flash back to 1977. Ponch and Jon, everyone's favorite dynamic motorcycle duo, will be back, this time on the big screen! The feature adaptation of CHiPs has been announced and so far the only person attached to the project is That '70s Show star Wilmer Valderrama. ComingSoon.net visited the set of his new film Unaccompanied Minors, which just finished shooting in Salt Lake City, Utah, where he talked about the big screen version.
"We start shooting this summer," revealed Valderrama. " Trust me, there was one superhero I wanted to play, it's Ponch. He's the man, dude. So it's actually very flattering. The studio, Warner Brothers, have taken me in as one of their own and I'm doing a bunch of pictures with them, this being one of them, 'CHiPs' is the other one. It's exciting because we're really keeping in mind all the mistakes that every other remake has made, and not going to make them in this one."
We asked him whether the movie will be like the show. "It's going to be, we're really going to do it right. It's an action-comedy but the comedy comes from the chemistry, the comedy comes from a very organic place. We don't want it to be funny gags or funny costumes because, to be honest, in doing the research for this movie, we realized CHiPs worldwide is still a huge phenomenon and a huge drama for [the fans], and a serious drama, so if you were to disrespect an idea like that…"
He made a good comparison to That '70s Show. "Look, one thing we did right on 'That '70s Show' was we never made fun of the '70s. We always grew up, we were growing up during the '70s and we were always doing very human, kid-like things. We never made fun of anything. And I think with this type of movie, you don't want to make fun of, but you don't want take it too serious either. One of the things I want to do for this movie, that we wrote in there, we have huge stunts, motorcycle stuff, but at the end there's always some sort of human, real payoff. Whether it's hands shaking, after a huge jump… Things like that where, it's not in the movie, but for example, we did a huge jump from one building to another and we land, the close-up is on the hands-shaking and us saying 'Okay, let's just not do that again.' So we'll do things like that, to make sure that even though it's an action-comedy, I want to definitely cater to the people who want to take that light as well. And the story is awesome. I already read the first draft… and it's actually going to take place today."
While there is no director on board yet, "We're tossing around a few people right now, seeing which one is going to be the one," said Valderrama. "But it's a movie that, lucky for us, everyone wants to be in it. It's so exciting to see so many great actors… we're talking Oscar-winners who are saying, 'I gotta be the chief.' So we're very excited. I don't know who's going to be Jon. I know I definitely have two people that I really want, I'm not going to say the names, but they are two friends of mine who I know, we have good chemistry, and we'll make it really funny. But they have to be believable that they also can get in a fight. There are so many factors, but we're excited."
He's not producing, but he is giving a lot of input. "I don't take a producing credit but Greg Silverman and Warner Brothers have been so great about letting me in with the writers and telling them what I think the character would be, what I think the movie would be. The writers are incredible too, so they really captured it. [Silverman] has been really great about letting me get involved in the casting and all that stuff too. So I guess in a way, silently I'm doing it. Because I brought it up to Warner Brothers when I went up to them I said, listen, I don't have much of a base on how perfect I am for this role, but the only thing I can do for you is this: [Eric Estrada impression] and that totally sealed the deal. After that he goes, 'Let's do it!'"
CHiPs does not have a release date yet, but you can catch Valderrama in Unaccompanied Minors on November 8. |
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