For the first time since the middle of the 1980s, when they were at the height of their popularity, Cheech & Chong will reunite onscreen for a new biopic. With their stand-up comedy routines and albums that focused on counterculture, stoner culture, and the hippie and free love era they grew up in, Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong first burst onto the scene in the 1970s. They made their theatrical debut in 1978's Up In Smoke, which was a huge hit and made over $100 million on a $2 million budget. Their success also resulted in a number of feature films.

According to Entertainment Weekly, the iconic comedy combo released a joint statement announcing the production of the picture, which will be directed by Kristian Mercado, who just released his own debut movie, the Anthony Mackie-led If You Were The Last. In the statement, the duo acknowledged their pleasure in being able to share their personal story and how they got together despite their varied origins. Check out the whole quote below:

We are excited to show the world how two dudes from completely different backgrounds got together, changed comedy, and made cannabis mainstream!

What To Expect From The Cheech & Chong Biopic

Cheech & Chong have not appeared together onscreen since 1985, however, as both comedians pursued their solo acting careers. Marin has since featured opposite Don Johnson on the cop comedy Nash Bridges while Chong achieved popularity as a recurring performer on the sitcom That 70s Show and recently returned to the role of Leo for the spinoff series That 90s Show. Chong also served time in prison in the early 2000s for selling weed paraphernalia.

The upcoming biopic will be written by Danya Jimenez and Hannah McMechan. Todd Lieberman and Alex Young of Hidden Pictures will produce the film alongside Douglas Banker and Trevor Engelson, the latter of which has said that working with the iconic comedy duo is "a childhood dream" of his. The film will follow Marin, who was raised in the California suburbs by Mexican-American parents and attended college, and Chong, who was a member of a soul music group on Canada's West Coast after dropping out of high school, as they find each other and reach new comedic heights.

It remains to be seen if the pair will play themselves or if they have other roles in mind. It would be interesting to see if a new generation enjoys Cheech & Chong's humour in their first collaboration since marijuana use became widely accepted in the U.S.

Source: Screen Rant

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