Chevy Chase Is Back, Here’s All We Know About His Return
As we return to work and our regular schedules following the holiday slowdown, there are a few movies that many are likely to have streamed. Sure, there are classics like It’s a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Story, but it’s the Chevy Chase-led National Lampoon’s: Christmas Vacation that will go down in history as one of the funniest holiday movies of all time. Well, the legend is getting back into the spirit as he’ll soon be filming a brand new Christmas movie set in Upstate New York.
The Christmas Letter
Titled The Christmas Letter, the Tori Hunter-helmed feature has been described as “comedic” and “heartfelt,” sure to have something for the whole family while delivering on those plushy seasonal feelings.
The plot of Chevy Chase’s new Christmas movie sounds just a tad familiar as it will see his character face off against his neighbors for the best holiday display.
While it isn’t exactly a dead ringer for Christmas Vacation, fans will remember that Chase’s on-screen family, the Griswolds, had a deep hatred for their neighbors played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Nicholas Guest.
The Best Parts Of Christmas Vacation
Although it sounds like it parallels Christmas Vacation, Hunter says that Chevy Chase’s character will be “unique” to the story and something audiences haven’t seen before.
At the same time, she piques the interest of fans of the 1989 holiday classic by adding that the film’s tone reminds her of all the best parts of Christmas Vacation.
Filming is set to begin in Utica, New York next month.
Chevy Chase’s Recent Work
2023 saw Chevy Chase return to feature-length filmmaking in a voice acting role in the Christmas animated film Glisten and the Merry Mission, as well as a live-action performance in Zombie Town.
Before this, Chase had built himself somewhat of a comedic empire through his early years in the biz, specifically launched by his casting and knockout performance on the first season of Saturday Night Live.
Throughout the ‘80s, he worked on comedy classics like Caddyshack, Fletch, Like Old Times, Three Amigos!, Funny Farm, and other productions to come from the National Lampoon’s Vacation franchise.
Chevy Chase In Community
While his career took a dip in the 2000s, Chevy Chase came back with a vengeance in the hit NBC sitcom, Community in 2009.
Certainly the biggest name on the show when it premiered, Chase starred alongside up-and-coming talent including Donald Glover, Joel McHale, Alison Brie, and Jim Rash.
The series centered around a group of study pals at a community college who, despite coming from very different backgrounds, find a way to communicate and help one another get through classes.
Issues On Community
Community quickly made its way into sitcom fame, but Chevy Chase would leave in the middle of the fourth season due to his clashing with the other cast and crew members.
Around this time, rumors began swirling that accused Chase of inappropriate behavior on set, something that many other of his ex-coworkers from Saturday Night Live and beyond would back up.
Perhaps most disturbingly, Chase would constantly use racial slurs against his Black co-star, Donald Glover, and allegedly made sexual comments to the women in the writers’ room.
More Chevy Chase To Come
With a Community movie now in the works, it would seem as though Chevy Chase won’t be asked to join the rest of the cast for their big comeback.
However, for those still in his corner, keep an eye out for more information about The Christmas Letter.
Source: New York Upstate
