Searchlight Pictures has announced that Broken Lizard (Super Troopers franchise) has kicked off production on their new project QUASI, a satirical take on The Hunchback of Notre Dame, with Broken Lizard’s Kevin Heffernan set to direct. The film follows a hapless hunchback who only yearns for love, but finds himself in the middle of a murderous feud between the Pope and the King of France when each orders the hunchback to kill the other.
Heffernan and the rest of the group’s members Steve Lemme, Jay Chandrasekhar, Paul Soter, and Erik Stolhanske wrote the script and will also executive produce and star. Richard Perello (Super Troopers franchise) is producing the feature which also stars Adrianne Palicki (“The Orville”, “Friday Night Lights”).
QUASI will stream exclusively on Disney’s direct-to-consumer platforms as a Hulu Original in the U.S., on Star+ in Latin America, and on Disney+ in all other territories.
“I’m très, très excited to get the Broken Lizard gang back together,” said Heffernan. “But I’m even more excited to finally put my PhD in French Medieval Studies to use. It’s been a long time coming.”
An anonymous member of Broken Lizard added, “We’re excited to do something without mustaches.”
“We love Broken Lizard and are always thrilled to collaborate,” said Searchlight Heads of Film Production DanTram Nguyen and Katie Goodson-Thomas. “Kevin, Steve, Jay, Paul and Erik are a boisterous, talented and hysterical group. We look forward to seeing them bring their raunchy charm to this satirical take on The Hunchback of Notre Dame.”
The group also reunites with its unruly team of craftspeople including Director of Photography Joe Collins (Super Troopers 2), Production Designer Bianca Ferro (“Tacoma FD”), Costume Designer Kelly Kwon (“Tacoma FD”), Hair Department Head Lorna Reid (“Tacoma FD”), Makeup Department Head Amy Sparks (“Tacoma FD”), Line ProducerMatt Medlin (“Tacoma FD”) and Casting Director Wendy O’Brien (Bad Trip, “Dave”). QUASI is being overseen by Searchlight Pictures’ VP of Production Richard Ruiz and Creative Executive Apolline Berty.
Heffernan and Chandrasekhar are represented by UTA, Lemme by CAA, Soter by Echo Lake Entertainment and Stolhanske by CSP Management. Palicki is represented by WME.
Heffernan, Lemme, Chandrasekhar, Soter and Stolhanske’s Broken Lizard is a five-man comedy, filmmaking group that previously partnered with Searchlight Pictures on Super Troopers and Super Troopers 2, as well as Club Dread. Other film credits include Beerfest with Warner Bros. and The Slammin’ Salmon with Anchor Bay. They are currently in development on the highly anticipated Super Troopers 3: Winter Soldiers. Heffernan and Lemme are also the creators and stars of TruTV’s hit comedy “Tacoma FD”.
Palicki currently stars in the Fox/Hulu science fiction comedy-drama series “The Orville”. She is best known for her roles in the NBC sports drama series “Friday Night Lights” and in the ABC superhero drama series “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” Her film credits include Legion, Red Dawn, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, and John Wick.
