A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas
A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas (previously titled A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas) is a 2011 American buddy stoner Christmas comedy film directed by Todd Strauss-Schulson and written by Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg. The sequel to Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay (2008), it is the third installment in the Harold & Kumar franchise, and stars John Cho, Kal Penn, and Neil Patrick Harris. The film follows estranged friends Harold Lee (Cho) and Kumar Patel (Penn) as they reunite to hunt for a Christmas tree.
| A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas | |
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Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Todd Strauss-Schulson |
| Written by | |
| Produced by | Greg Shapiro |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Michael Barrett |
| Edited by | Eric Kissack |
| Music by | William Ross |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures |
Release date |
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Running time | 89 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $19 million |
| Box office | $36.2 million |
Preparations for the film began in May 2009, with Hurwitz, Schlossberg, and Strauss-Schulson signing soon thereafter. Cho, Harris, and Penn returned by June 2010, with the latter departing his role in the U.S. Office of Public Liaison to reprise his role in A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas. Principal photography began later that month and lasted until that August, with filming locations including Detroit, Los Angeles, and New York City. Its marketing campaign used guerilla tactics led by Cho and Penn to promote the film's 3D and animated elements, a new for the franchise.
A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas was theatrically released in the United States on November 4, 2011, by Warner Bros. The film received generally positive critical reception, with praise for the Christmas theme and performances of Cho, Penn, and Harris, but criticism for some of its humor.