Pioneering Comedians Cheech Marin & Tommy Chong Getting Their Own Biopic

Art will soon imitate Cheech Marin’s life…

The 76-year-old Chicano comedian, actor, musician and activist and his former comedy partner Tommy Chong, best known as Cheech & Chong, will be getting the big-screen treatment.

Cheech & Chong, Cheech Marin, Tommy ChongThe pioneering comedians, whose 1978 film Up in Smoke has transcended cult status, are partnering with Todd Lieberman’s Hidden Pictures, Underground and Five All in the Fifth Entertainment on a feature biopic about the comedy duo.

Cheech and Chong came to prominence in the ’70s and ’80s, becoming synonymous with stoner culture by riffing on and lifting up the counterculture of the time, from hippies to (of course) cannabis. Their combined output included successful stand-up shows, comedy albums and low-budget feature films, including Up in Smoke, Cheech and Chong’s Next Movie (1980) and Nice Dreams (1981).

Kristian Mercado, who most recently made his feature debut with the 2023 South by Southwest entry If You Were Last, will direct from a screenplay by Danya Jimenez and Hannah McMechan.

Marin, who worked with Hidden Pictures for Shotgun Wedding, and Chong will executive produce along with David Glickman.

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

Marin currently appears on the big screen in Champions. He also recently appeared on George Lopez’s new series Lopez vs Lopez.

Jennifer Lopez Shares “Shotgun Wedding” Photo on Social Media

It’s a nice day for a white wedding (dress) for Jennifer Lopez

The 51-year-old Puerto Rican superstar has taken to social media to share the first look at her Shotgun Wedding character Darcy.

Jennifer Lopez

J.Lo shared the photo of her in a flowing white gown while on the set for the upcoming film, with a caption that read “Day 1!”

La Lopez tagged Nuyorican ProductionsElaine Goldsmith-Thomas, who is co-producing the movie with Todd Lieberman, David Hoberman, Benny Medina, and Lopez.

Shotgun Wedding, helmed by Pitch Perfect director Jason Moore and written by New Girl creator Liz Meriwether and Mark Hammer, is a Lionsgate action-comedy that follows the story of Darcy (Lopez) and Tom (Josh Duhamel) as they gather their families for a destination wedding that sees the entire party taken hostage.

Duhamel joined the cast after actor Armie Hammer exited the project.

https://twitter.com/JLo/status/1364381539111370754?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1364381539111370754%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.billboard.com%2Farticles%2Fcolumns%2Flatin%2F9530869%2Fjennifer-lopez-shotgun-wedding-photo%2F

Lionsgate to Develop R.J. Palacio’s Graphic Novel “White Bird: A Wonder Story” Into a Feature Film

R.J. Palacio will see her latest project on the big screen.

Lionsgate is set to develop the 56-year-old Colombian American writer and New York Times best selling author’s graphic novel White Bird: A Wonder Story into a feature.

RJ Palacio,

White Bird, which hit bookstores this week via Alfred A. Knopf,inhabits the same universe as Palicio’s acclaimed work Wonder, which centered on young Auggie Pullman, a boy born with facial differences, and his transition to a mainstream elementary school.

The Wonderfeature was a critical and commercial success, starring Julia RobertsOwen Wilson, and Jacob Tremblay.

Wonderproducers David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman of Mandeville Films, as well as Palacio, will once again produce the adaptation.

White Birdfollows a young Jewish girl hidden away by a boy and his family in Nazi-occupied France during World War II. Recounted by Grandmere to her grandson, Julian, a character already known to those familiar with Wonder, Grandmere’s story about her childhood—her fairy-tale life before the war, how everything abruptly changed when the Nazi’s occupied France, and how the boy she and her classmates once shunned becomes her savior and best friend — is transformational for Julian. It is his evolution, as well as Grandmere’s extraordinary story, that helps White Bird movingly demonstrate the power of kindness to change hearts, build bridges, and even save lives.

James Myers will oversee the project on behalf of Lionsgate.

Wonder, which was released in 2017, grossed over $305 million worldwide, while the novel, released in 2012, spent seven years on the New York Times bestseller list. Recently, Lionsgate, Broadway producer Jill Furman, and Palacio announced that the title is being developed into a stage musical.

Palacio’s books have sold more than 15 million copies with editions published in 53 languages.