Warner Bros. have turned to Dax Shepard to write, direct and star in a big screen version of CHiPS, the popular TV series which ran from the late 70s/early 80s. Shepard is perhaps best know for starring in Parenthood. The original series focused on two motorcycle highway patrolmen in California.
Shepard is set to take on Larry Wilcox’s role as Officer Jon Baker. Michael Pena (who will be seen in Ant-Man next year) meanwhile will play Frank “Ponch” Poncherello, the role made famous by Erik Estrada.
There has been talk of turning CHiPS to the big screen for a number of years now, with one recent pitch (which would have seen That ’70s Show star Wilmer Valderrama play Ponch) failing to ever get off the ground. While both actors are well known for comedic roles, this new take on CHiPS is said to be far closer in tone to the likes of Bad Boys and Lethal Weapon rather than a full on comedy.
Shepard is actually a profession race car and motorcycle driver too, so he’s planning on performing his own stunts. It should be interesting to see how CHiPS stacks up against similar big screen revivals of classic TV franchises such as Starsky & Hutch and The Dukes Of Hazzard.
