EXCLUSIVE: The Office alum will be playing the villain in Adam Rifkin’s psychedelic Laugh Factory comedy feature production Toad. Cameras roll in February.
In the spirit of pics like Cheech and Chong’s Up In Smoke, Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure and Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas, Toad follows the wild story of two naive slackers, Sam (James Paxton of Twisters) and Alex (Oliver Wyman of Feeling Randy), who are hired to transport a box of contraband psychedelic toads from LA to Vegas. When the desert heat causes the toads to suffer heatstroke, our two heroes are inadvertently dosed when they give the toads CPR and suddenly find themselves on an hallucinogenic odyssey.
Robinson will play Charles, a charming, yet terrifying crime boss who entrusts the delivery of his precious toads to the knuckle headed Sam and Alex. When Sam and Alex fail to arrive in Vegas on schedule, an enraged Charles and his hulking henchmen are forced to intervene.
Rifkin exclaims, “Craig Robinson is not only a comedy genius, but he’s also the nicest guy in the world. Which is why I’m all the more excited for him play our villain. I can’t wait to see that adorable smile of his turn dark. It’s an honor to be working with such a funny and talented guy on this extremely important movie!”
Robinson says, “I love Adam Rifkin movies and I love toads. The fact that the script is hilarious, and the cast is stellar didn’t hurt either.”
Producer Michael P.J. Gerstein says, “The whole production team is absolutely elated Craig has signed on to our project. Toad is elevated by his participation and this movie is going to knock people’s socks off.”
David Fuhrer, President of the Laugh Factory, adds, “Craig Robinson is the perfect talent to bring this unforgettable villain to life. With his unmatched charisma and comedic brilliance, Toad is destined to be the funniest movie ever. We’re beyond excited to have him help launch the Laugh Factory Presents banner.”
Robinson played Darryl Philbin on The Office and his features include Hot Tub Time Machine, Pineapple Express, and This Is the End. Recent credits include My Spy Eternal City with Dave Bautista and the upcoming DreamWorks Animation sequel The Bad Guys 2.
Toad is being produced by futureIII Entertainment Corporation’s Brad Wyman (Monster) Michael P.J. Gerstein (Last Train to Fortune), as well as producer Mike Kolko. This project is also the first film to be produced under the Laugh Factory Presents banner, a new shingle led by new Laugh Factory President Fuhrer, Head of Entertainment John Weiser and Laugh Factory founder Jamie Masada.
Calum Gray will be handling worldwide sales from his newly formed UK company Architect. Mark O’Sullivan at DLNQNT will serve as EP.
Robinson is repped by, UTA, 3 Arts Entertainment and Ziffren Brittenham LLP.