That’s a wrap on Half Baked 2, which has completed filming in Baton Rouge. The smoky comedy sequel serves as a continuation of the original Half Baked which was released back in 1998 by director Tamra Davis. While the film primarily follows an all-new cast of characters, it’s been announced that Rachel True will return to reprise her role as Mary Jane Potman, Dave Chappelle’s love interest from the first installment. Harland Williams, who played the imprisoned stoner Kenny in the first movie, will also make an appearance, as will other celebrities including Frankie Muniz and Jeff Ross.
“We are thrilled to announce the next chapter in Half Baked, with new characters and a hilarious story that is sure to satisfy followers of the original film while attracting a whole new generation of fans," Universal 1440 Entertainment’s General Manager and Executive VP, Glenn Ross, said in a statement. “The sequel features a talented young cast alongside Rachel True reprising her role as the fan-favorite ‘Mary Jane.’ We can’t wait to show audiences where the story goes from here.”
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Michael Tiddes (Sextuplets, Naked) is directing Half Baked 2. The sequel stars Dexter Darden (The Maze Runner, Joyful Noise), Moses Storm (Moses Storm: White Trash, Everything’s Trash), Ramona Young (Never Have I Ever, Blockers), Ash Santos (True Story), Joel Courtney (Super 8, The Kissing Booth), and David Koechner (Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, The Office). As we reported back in 2019, Justin Hires (MacGyver, 21 Jump Street) wrote the screenplay for the comedy sequel. The film is produced by Griff Furst (Where All Light Tends to Go, 57 Seconds).
Will Dave Chappelle Appear in Half Baked 2?
Universal Pictures
Only Rachel True and Harland Williams have been confirmed to appear in Half Baked 2. The film doesn’t feature Dave Chappelle or his character, Thurgood Jenkins, but his presence is acknowledged by way of the new film centering on his son. Half Baked 2 also has a plot that’s somewhat reminiscent of the original, but it follows a member of a stoner group burying one of their pals rather than busting him out of jail. The new movie follows Thurgood’s son JR (Darden) and his best friends Miles (Storm) and Cori (Young) as they search for the money to bury their other best friend Bruce (Courtney), who died from smoking the most powerful joint in the world.
In the original Half Baked, which was co-written by Dave Chappelle and Neal Brennan, three stoners (Chappelle, Guillermo Diaz, Jim Breuer) band together to raise money in an effort to bail out one of their buddies (Harland Williams) from prison. The movie also features many notable special appearances, such as the late Bob Saget in one of the film’s most memorable moments, as well as other names like Tommy Chong, Clarence Williams III, Snoop Dogg, Tracy Morgan, Willie Nelson, and Steven Wright.
Half Baked 2 will debut on non-theatrical platforms worldwide in 2023 from Universal 1440 Entertainment, a production arm of Universal Filmed Entertainment Group. A release date hasn’t yet been announced.
