Warner Bros. has officially set release date for two of its major franchise updates: Dax Shepard's R-rated revamp of the beloved 1980s tv series CHiPs will land on August 11, 2017, while Andy Muscetti's It remake will land on an appropriately Halloween season-friendly date, September 7, 2017.
The CHiPs reboot offers a more serious spin on the material, having been touted as an action comedy in the vein of Lethal Weapon and Bad Boys. In addition to directing, Shepard wrote and stars in the film, taking over Larry Wilcox’s role of Officer Jon Baker. The ever wonderful Michael Peña co-stars as Frank “Ponch” Poncherello, the role originated by Erik Estrada. The rest of the ensemble is rounded out by Adam Brody, Ryan Hansen, Jessica McNamee, and Kristen Bell.
As for It, Beasts of No Nation helmer Carey Fukanaga was originally set to write and direct New Line's remake, with Will Poulter in talks to take on the iconic role of Pennywise. In a move that will leave many of us eternally wondering what Fukanaga's version of Stephen King's twisted narrative might have looked like, the director dropped off the project after a series of creative disagreements with the studio.
Now, Mama helmer Andy Muscetti is on board to direct with Gary Doberman reworking the script. We don't know for sure if the studio plans to keep Poulter in the role of Pennywise, but they are definitely maintaining the original two-film structure, which will see the characters face off against the monsterous clown as children in the first, then catch up with them as adults in the sequel. Producer Roy Lee recently told us that the studio is hoping to begin production this year, so we can look forward to some more official casting and plot details in the near future.
