Harold & Kumar
Harold & Kumar is the name of a series of American films created by Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg. Beginning with Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004), and followed by Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay (2008) and A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas (2011), the films star John Cho, Kal Penn, and Neil Patrick Harris.
| Harold & Kumar | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Danny Leiner (1) Jon Hurwitz (2) Hayden Schlossberg (2) Todd Strauss-Schulson (3) |
| Written by | Jon Hurwitz Hayden Schlossberg |
| Produced by | Greg Shapiro |
| Starring | John Cho Kal Penn Neil Patrick Harris |
| Cinematography | Bruce Douglas Johnson Daryn Okada Michael Barrett |
| Edited by | Jeff Betancourt Jeff Freeman Eric Kissack |
| Music by | David Kitay George S. Clinton William Ross |
| Distributed by | New Line Cinema Warner Bros. |
Release date | 2004–11 |
Running time | 300 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $40 million |
| Box office | $102.8 million |
The films are considered buddy stoner comedies, with surreal and animated elements in later sequels. Contrasting ideas and perspectives on life, romance, and maturity feature as recurring themes, while the series is notable for its racially diverse main cast.
The first film was directed by Danny Leiner, the second was directed by creators Hurwitz and Schlossberg, and the third by Todd Strauss-Schulson. The films were distributed by New Line Cinema and Warner Bros.; the films were produced by Mandate Pictures, Kingsgate Films, Endgame Entertainment, and New Line Cinema. The films chronicle the adventures of Harold Lee (Cho) and Kumar Patel (Penn).
Harold & Kumar has received generally mixed to positive critical reception and is a commercial success, grossing over $102 million worldwide against a combined budget of $40 million.