CHiPs is one of those projects that's been kicking around Hollywood long enough that it's secured a nice and cozy home in development hell. Close to a decade ago, the TV adaptation had some forward momentum in its corner, but ultimately ran out of gas on the side of the road. Momentum is on their side yet again, as Dax Shepherd and Michael Pena have been signed for the two lead roles of Officers Baker and Ponch in the recent past, and a new player has just signed on. Get ready for some more villainous goodness from Vincent D'Onofrio, as he's joined the CHiPs cast as of this week!
The Hollywood Reporter broke the scoop, which pegs D'Onofrio as the baddie in the action-comedy reboot of the classic 1970's TV show. So what's Vincent D'Onofrio's racket this time around? Apparently, the thievery of exotic cars is the name of the game, and the man who once patrolled the beat of Law And Order: Criminal Intent would know the game best – as his character is also a former cop. Other than that, not much is known about the film, but that's all we need to be interested.
Throughout his career as an actor, Vincent D'Onofrio has played various types of character, but any role that brings out his inner hard ass seems to be right in his wheelhouse. Just ask anyone who's seen his portrayal of Wilson Fisk, also known as "The Kingpin," on Netflix's breakout hit Daredevil, and they'll tell you that there's some really good reasoning that's gone into bringing out the legendary actor's mean streak once again. Not only does D'Onofrio's casting look good on paper, it also looks like the right move to drive the modern box office denizen to a future showing of CHiPs'!
Considering we almost had a CHiPs flick with Wilmer Valderrama and Chris Evans circa his Fantastic Four days, we should be lucky that the film has taken this long to become a going concern. What could have been a straight up comedy had turned into a somewhat serious project that will undoubtedly draw influence from the success of the Fast And Furious franchise, in an attempt to drum up some excitement. So far, it looks like Dax Shepherd has done us a solid in his capacity as co-writer/director, by remembering one of the reasons the Universal franchise works as well as it does: it knows how to cast a villain! Let's just hope he's learned a thing or two about his craft since 2010's forgettable Hit And Run lived up to its name in theaters.
CHiPs doesn't have a clear timetable as to when it will start filming, or when it's looking to be released, but when we have more information – you'll hear it from us the moment we've learned it.
