Dax Shepard Making "CHiPS" Movie for Warner Bros.
9/2/14
by Aaron Couch


"Parenthood's" Dax Shepard is getting behind the wheel of CHiPS. The actor will write, star and direct a film version of the NBC TV series which centered on two California Highway Patrol motorcycle officers, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.

Deadline first reported the news.




Shepard will play Jon Baker, the by-the-book officer played by Larry Wilcox on the TV show.

Michael Peña (Gracepoint, End of Watch) will costar as Frank Poncherello, Baker's wild partner, who was played by Erik Estrada.



Shepard's Primate Pictures is producing, along with Andrew Panay.

"CHiPS" TV series creator Rick Rosner will executive produce and Jesse Ehrman and Nik Mavinkurve will oversee for Warner Bros.

The show ran 139 episodes over six seasons from 1977 to 1983.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/dax-shepard-making-chips-movie-729677

Well its about time after so many rumors of that punk Wilmer Valderrama wanting to do a CHiP's movie at least they're moving forward with some bit of news.

Hopefully they follow the spirit of the show and make it like an action comedy, Michael Pena while might not strike to some as handsome as Erik Estrada at least he's a better choice than Wilmer.

Well, "CHiPs" followed the lives of two motorcycle police officers of the California Highway Patrol. I can see a great TV series again :)

Dax Shepard: The "CHiPs" Remake is like Bad Boys with Tighter Pants
by Samantha Highfill
Sep 19, 2014


When news broke that Dax Shepard was writing, directing, and starring in a remake of "CHiPs", the popular television series that ran from 1977 to 1983 and followed two California patrol officers, fans immediately wondered what a “more serious” take on the story would look like.

And according to Shepard, it will add the FBI to the mix, but retain a few things from the original (namely, the tight pants).



EW caught up with Shepard to get some details on the upcoming remake.









So "CHiPs" might have been my favorite show growing up.

Really? Did you have a major crush on Poncherello?



Actually, I had a major crush on Jon.

That’s so counterintuitive. Most gals were obsessed with Ponch. Your dad must’ve been a really sweet man.



He was. Well, he is.

Yeah, that explains that. I think the litmus test is, if you’re attracted to Jon, you had a really nice father, and then if you’re attracted to Ponch, your dad was probably not around as much and was maybe a little more you know risque.

But I’m going to play a little bit more dangerous version of Jon. My version of Jon is a little scarier.



So it’s for people whose dad was sort of around?

My dad, who was a car salesman who spent a lot of time at the bar and drove a Corvette.







The only thing I’ve really heard is that it’s a more serious take on the series, but what can you tell me about the angle you’re going for?

Yeah, that’s exactly it. It’s not the spoof version at all, and it’s not the comedy-first version. It’s the action-first version. It’s way more tonally in keeping with Lethal Weapon or Bad Boys.

I’m super, super into motorcycles. It’s something that I take absurdly seriously, so my commitment to it being a very kick-ass motorcycle movie is No. 1.

And then I doubt you saw Hit and Run, but if you saw Hit and Run, my other commitment being to, you know, authentic dialogue that maybe isn’t expositional in nature but more slice-of-life in nature. So it’s not set-up jokes. The comedy I’m trying to mine is the intricacy of male relationships and how awkward those are at the beginning—and then once they take off, how kind of funny and satisfying.







Where are you in the process?

I’ve already written it. I’m really, really happy with it. I was a tiny bit intimidated. It has a legit crime plot to it, and I had never tackled that kind of a plot. I guess Hit and Run was also a crime plot, but not, “Oh, there’s clues and they’re uncovering things and they’re discovering things.”

So the mechanics of that were slightly intimidating to me. I spent more time writing this than anything else I’ve written, but the end result, I was really happy with. I feel like it actually has a really good engine, a really good plot to it.







So does it have one central crime?

There’s a series of crimes happening, and it seems quite evident to the FBI that one or more people in the CHP is complicit in this or involved in it, so the movie starts with Ponch, who’s an FBI agent, getting sent to the CHP undercover.



That’s a twist.

I kind of wanted to acknowledge the funny fact that Poncherello is an Italian name and was originally, in the series, written for an Italian guy, but Erik Estrada came in and crushed an audition and they cast a Mexican lead, which was not happening a ton at that time.

I think it’s really funny and cool, that you have this Mexican guy playing what was conceived of an an Italian guy, so I wanted to acknowledge that in our script — like, why is this guy playing an Italian? So the fact that he’s undercover explains that.







Anything you definitely want to keep from the original?

I will keep the pants tight. I promise to keep the pants tight from your childhood show.



Thank you. I appreciate that. Wait, wait. Are you going to be wearing different color aviators?

Why do you ask that?



That was always crucial to me. Jon had the lighter, yellow aviators and Ponch had the darker, black aviators.

Well you know what’s so bizarre, by pure coincidence, I shot a teaser for the studio of Michael Peña and I, and in the teaser, I’m wearing blue aviators and he’s wearing red aviators.



So they’re different but not the exact same as the original.

Right.



I like it.

And that’s a coincidence, I’m glad you just pointed that out to me. It makes me feel like I really stayed true to something that escaped me.



Now you can tell people that’s a little homage to the original.

Yes, this was a conscious choice. Yeah, but in the teaser we’re in red and blue. Which I just liked because those are police-siren colors.

http://insidemovies.ew.com/2014/09/19/dax-shepard-chips-2/

Very cool! I'm gonna see it! ;) But Michael Pena isn't nearly as HOT as Erik Estrada was! Nobody can play Ponch as good as Erik did! :)


https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQTYUbchM10-vQHZA7BMCEfRnRzDEFSZUQ-An_21a22SnBUZRBK

Actually Eric Estrada isn't Mexican he is Puerto Rican!

He was born on March 16, 1949 in East Harlem, Manhattan, New York. His full name is Henry Enrique Estrada and he is of Puerto Rican decent!

I think Ponch was supposed to be Mexican though, he was supposed to be from California. I always thought it was funny, he had a very strong NY accent! LOL! Why not just make Ponch a transplant from NY who was Puerto Rican! Oh well, glad he was hired, I love him!!!

I've always liked Michael Peña.

Very underrated actor.

I've always liked Michael Peña.

Very underrated actor.

OK, Now I know who Michael Pena is ! He played Cesar Chavez in the movie about the grape boycott. I saw that movie! ;)
He was good as Cesar! ;)


https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR07zxblVUxDcOrcpQ8wlVjcBxILkgn7sbb3tgP9ce-NQJuVG2L

Very cool! I'm gonna see it! ;) But Michael Pena isn't nearly as HOT as Erik Estrada was! Nobody can play Ponch as good as Erik did! :)

Hollywood can work wonders with makeup and I'm sure if they ask nicely to Pena he can hit the gym a couple of months to lose his gut.

Hollywood can work wonders with makeup and I'm sure if they ask nicely to Pena he can hit the gym a couple of months to lose his gut.


LOL!!! If they ask him nicely!!! That's funny!!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:


But really, almost ANYONE would look a little chubby in the stomach in those tight highway patrol uniforms!!!! Even the original Ponch and Jon!! They were young, really in shape guys and they looked like they were about to pop some buttons on those uniforms!!!! LOL!! :eek: I know it was the 70's , and the tight clothing was in style for the guys but still!!!!

I'm like thinking to myself as I watch "Ponch take off that uncomfortable tight uniform" Not for horny reasons :D but because it looks UNCOMFORTABLE and polyester!!! OK for my horny reasons too, I admit, I'd LOVE him to take off his uniform and get in my bed!!!! :lol: :happyface

But back to the topic, any actor would have to work on his gut to be able to look good in a Chips uniform!!! ;) I'm just being a brat, I'm so partial to Erik Estrada as Ponch, I'd have stuff to say about any actor up for that roll, nothing personal against Michael Pena! :)

When is the Chips movie supposed to come out?? I hope Erik has a cameo!

Yeah as far as movies slated for 2015 I haven't heard a peep about it.

Yeah as far as movies slated for 2015 I haven't heard a peep about it.


Me either, and you know I have my ears perked up over this! ;) Maybe it won't end up happening, like the other time they were going to do a Chips movie with Wilmer Valderrama playing Ponch and it never came about! :confused:

I wonder if they will invite Estrada or Wilcox to do a cameo in the movie. I can see maybe Michael Dorn who played Officer Jebediah Turner in Chips, because he has done many movies. They did that to Paul Michael Glaser and David Soul in Starsky n Hutch the movie. I thought it was so cool to see them again.

I wonder if they will invite Estrada or Wilcox to do a cameo in the movie. I can see maybe Michael Dorn who played Officer Jebediah Turner in Chips, because he has done many movies. They did that to Paul Michael Glaser and David Soul in Starsky n Hutch the movie. I thought it was so cool to see them again.


That would be cool! I would LOVE to see Erik and Larry in this movie! ;) I liked the Starsky and Hutch movie with Owen Wilson and Ben Stiller. Cool when David and Michael Paul made an appearance!;)

LOL@ Snoop Dog as Huggy Bear! :D He was GOOD! ;)

CHiPs Movie Casts Vincent D'Onofrio as Villain (Exclusive)
by Borys Kit
5/26/15


Vincent D’Onofrio, coming off his buzz-generating performance as a villain in Netflix’s Daredevil, has joined Warner Bros.' big-screen take on the classic 1970s cop show.

Plot details are being under wraps, but it does involve an exotic-car theft ring. D’Onofrio will play the auto-stealing ringleader, a ruthless former cop.



Dax Shepard and Michael Peña are inhabiting the roles of the motorcycling police officers and best friends Jon Baker and Frank Poncherello, with Shepard also serving as director and screenplay co-writer.

Andrew Panay is producing. Jesse Ehrman and Nik Mavinkurve are overseeing for the studio.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/chips-movie-casting-vincent-donofrio-797996

I wish this movie would soon come out!!!!

Kristen Bell Mounts Up for CHiPs Movie
by Oliver Gettell
September 18, 2015


Kristen Bell is set to team up with husband Dax Shepard in the writer-director-actor’s big-screen adaptation of the late-’70s, early-’80s TV series CHiPs.

Shepard and Michael Pena are following in the footsteps of Larry Wilcox and Erik Estrada, playing a pair of aviator-shaded, motorcycle-riding California Highway Patrol officers keeping the Southland safe.

The cast of the Warner Bros. film also includes Adam Brody, Rosa Salazar, and Vincent D’Onofrio.

http://www.ew.com/article/2015/09/18/kristen-bell-chips-movie

Jessica McNamee Joins CHiPs Movie
by Erik Pedersen
September 30, 2015


Jessica McNamee, a regular on USA Network’s comedy "Sirens", has cuffed a role in CHiPs, writer-director Dax Shepard’s adaptation of the old NBC series for Warner Bros.

She is set to co-star as Lindsey Taylor, described as a stunning yet tough young California Highway Patrol officer who takes quite a shine to Ponch (Michael Pena) and vice versa. A capable and courageous professional, she joins Ponch and Jon (Shepard) on their death-defying, high-speed pursuits.

http://deadline.com/2015/09/jessica-mcnamee-chips-movie-last-days-of-summer-sirens-1201559235/

When is this friggen' movie coming out!!!! It's been in the making for so long. I assumed it just was canceled!

xpBHeH4umIA

Funny!!:lol: :D So it is going to be a comedy! Looks cool! ;) :D

Funny!!:lol: :D So it is going to be a comedy! Looks cool! ;) :D

If it's like the 21 Jump Street movies then it could be a lot of fun, I thought both those films were funny. Hopefully some of the cast from the original make appearances, even Depp himself showed up in the first Jump Street movie!

According to everyone on Me-TV's site, Dax managed to turn this into a raunch-fest. Well ain't that swell. People watched ChiPs for the crashes, not dudes in their underwear talking about their junk.

I'm waiting for Michael Pena to bring some actual humor to "Ant-Man and the Wasp" in 2018. Forget this crap.

According to everyone on Me-TV's site, Dax managed to turn this into a raunch-fest. Well ain't that swell. People watched ChiPs for the crashes, not dudes in their underwear talking about their junk.

I'm waiting for Michael Pena to bring some actual humor to "Ant-Man and the Wasp" in 2018. Forget this crap.

I didn't ! I actually watched CHIPS to see hot, young Erik Estrada! I would have liked to see the original Ponch in his underwear better than seeing car crashes!:lol: :D

CHiPS Actor Erik Estrada Criticizes CHIPS Movie Reboot (http://screenrant.com/chips-erik-estrada-criticizes-movie-reboot/)

I saw a preview of the movie, and it looked really stupid. I am a huge CHiPs fan, but I might skip this film. And Michael Pena as Ponch? Guuurrrrlll, PLEASE!!!:lol:

I saw a preview of the movie, and it looked really stupid. I am a huge CHiPs fan, but I might skip this film. And Michael Pena as Ponch? Guuurrrrlll, PLEASE!!!:lol:

I agree about Michael Pena playing Ponch!:p They TOTALLY should have casted a WAY hotter guy than Michael Pena to play Ponch!!!;) :wave:

I agree about Michael Pena playing Ponch!:p They TOTALLY should have casted a WAY hotter guy than Michael Pena to play Ponch!!!;) :wave:


I completely and totally agree; there are plenty of HOT Latino actors that could play Ponch, but they picked Pena? :crazy:

Actually after seeing the trailer couple of more times it appears that Pena's character goes undercover of sorts into the CHP using the name Frank Poncharello as an alias, if you listen closely Michael Pena even pokes fun at the name "Francis" LOL!

I think Dax indeed is playing Jon Baker but I guess a dumbed down version, as to why, who knows?

It may not be true to the spirit of CHiPs but then again the TV show never took itself seriously but if they can make if fun like the 21 Jump Street films then I say why not.

CHiPS Actor Erik Estrada Criticizes CHIPS Movie Reboot (http://screenrant.com/chips-erik-estrada-criticizes-movie-reboot/)
In that article there's a quote not to expect to see Erik Estrada in the film, but in the latest TV spot I saw him in there, Erik is in the movie maybe in a small cameo but he's there alright.

I saw the trailer and you can count me out from seeing this movie. It looks like trash and those who twittered earlier are right. It looks that bad.

CHiPs Star Michael Peña on Erik Estrada's Legacy and the Lack of Latino Movie Stars
by Darren Franich
March 23, 2017


You name it, Michael Peña’s been great in it: comedies, dramas, blockbuster cinematic universes, best picture nominees. This weekend, one of Hollywood’s greatest scene-stealers takes one of the lead roles in CHiPs, the hard-R action-comedy reboot of the beloved TV cop show.

Peña talked to EW about the legacy of the show’s original star and his future in the Marvel universe.







Were you a fan of the show growing up?

It used to be an event to just watch this force of nature, Erik Estrada, do his thing. As a Latin guy, it was amazing to see another Latin guy on television. There weren’t that many, especially back in the day. When there were, they were mainly bad guys, so it was cool to see a good cop as a Latino on television.





Did you get any lessons about playing Ponch from Estrada?

He did a cameo in our film. He showed up and lit up the set. If it had not been CHiPs, I think he would have been a star in any other TV show or movie.





Your costar Dax Shepard, who wrote and directed the movie, made it an R-rated action-comedy. What was it like pushing the franchise in such a different direction?

Dax really wanted to modernize it. He amped up some things. It’s more humor that I brought to Ponch. When you watch the series, it was a family drama. So now it’s almost like the nerds that watched CHiPs grew up and made themselves into Ponch. [Laughs]





Do you think Latino representation has gotten better since Estrada was starring in the original CHiPs?

You have to think of it in two ways. Me, Diego Luna with Star Wars, Gael García Bernal with Mozart in the Jungle, Jacob Vargas, Clifton Collins in Westworld, all those guys — we’re working actors now.

There’s a lot more of a Latin presence. But if you were to say how many Latin movie stars there are? I don’t think there’s many international movie stars like a Will Smith, Dwayne Johnson, or Tom Cruise.





Just in your own career, do you think the situation in Hollywood has evolved?

The first 10 years, in the break- downs for different scripts, they wouldn’t be open to other ethnicities until the 13th part. And it would be one scene, four lines. That’s the only thing I went out for.

All my roommates were going out and potentially starring in different movies. As a 19-year-old kid, it would be kind of disheartening.





You had a great role in Ant-Man. Are you coming back for the sequel?

I really don’t know. They haven’t quite picked up my option yet. I know that they’re filming the second one in July or something, and I have not been cleared yet.

http://ew.com/movies/2017/03/23/chips-michael-pena-erik-estrada-latin-movie-stars/

I saw the movie, I wasn't expecting anything spectacular but it was average at best. Does it live up to the legacy of classic CHiPs, HA! don't make me laugh, the movie is a total 180 degree departure from the show, the only thing in common are the uniforms, the motorcycles and that it's set in Los Angeles.

I grew up with raunchy hard R-rated comedies and I don't mind them a bit but when you take a beloved show like CHiPs and gross it out for the modern market then you alienate the real fans of the show.

I would say for those that haven't seen it just go in with an open mind and ignore the fact that its called CHiPs and think of it as another cop show based movie.

Now would I want to see a sequel, yeah sure I don't mind, both Michael and Dax were likeable but seeing as it came in 6th place at the box office I don't see that happening.

I'm not surprised it bombed. After I saw the trailer, forget it.

Flm5d5ThAfo

https://bombreport.com/yearly-breakdowns/2017-2/chips/

Chips was released (https://twitter.com/bombreport/status/1109925859899723778) 2 years ago today.

In yet another case of dusting off a relic from the archives, this big screen version of the 1977 TV series likely alienated older fans of the show and offered nothing new to those unfamiliar with its source.