On paper, it’s easy to compare Warner Bros. and Dax Shepard’s upcoming CHIPS reboot to the Jump Street series. Both action movies mined inspiration from a pair of dormant TV series and, in their journey to the big screen, tapped two bankable comedy stars to lead the charge.
But rather than Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill featuring as the mismatched leading duo, CHIPS has set Ant-Man‘s Michael Peña to star opposite Dax Shepard. The latter directs from his own screenplay, and after years spent lobbying for a big-screen reboot, it’s almost fitting that Shepard headlines Warner’s buddy-cop comedy as one half of the California Highway Patrol.
Indeed, from the all-new red band trailer above, you’ll no doubt discover that CHIPS touts many of the genre’s hallmarks: a bickering odd couple, corruption within the department, along with the inevitable inside job. But perhaps the one element that can drag CHIPS back from the brink of mediocrity is the on-screen chemistry between Michael Peña and Dax Shepard.
Together, they’ll be joining forces to go up against Daredevil and Jurassic World star Vincent D’Onofrio who will, once again, play the part of the villain. Rounding out the cast list for this one are Kristen Bell (Dax Shepard’s significant other), Rosa Salazar, Adam Brody, Jessica McNamee, Vida Guerra, Rene Moran and Kelly Richardson.
CHIPS makes a beeline for theaters August 11th, at which point Dax Shepard’s passion project will be squaring off against Annabelle 2 and Sony’s Emoji Movie for box office supremacy. Who will be crowned champion? Time will tell.
Jon Baker (Shepard) and Frank “Ponch” Poncherello (Peña) have just joined the California Highway Patrol (CHP) in Los Angeles but for very different reasons. Baker is a beaten up pro motorbiker trying to put his life and marriage back together. Poncherello is a cocky undercover Federal agent investigating a multi-million dollar heist that may be an inside job—inside the CHP.
The inexperienced rookie and hardened pro are teamed together, but clash more than click, so kickstarting a partnership is easier said than done. But with Baker’s bike skills combined with Ponch’s street savvy it might just work…if they don’t drive each other crazy along the way.