It's been nearly a quarter of a century since one of the funniest stoner comedies ever made, Half Baked. In that time, star Dave Chappelle has gone on quite the journey as one of the best (if controversial) stand-up comics in the world, with one of the most popular variety shows in recent history. Another of its stars, Jon Stewart, surprisingly became the most trustworthy 'news' anchor in America with The Daily Show, and the film itself has become a '90s cult classic despite its initially tepid reviews.

It's time for newer stars to shine in Half Baked 2, however. Dexter Darden, so memorable as Frypan in The Maze Runner films, has been doing press for the sequel to The Binge, his upcoming Hulu comedy It's a Wonderful Binge. While speaking with MovieWeb about the film, Darden previewed his starring role in the upcoming Half Baked 2, where he plays Chappelle's son for a new era of stoner hijinks.

Dexter Darden is Excited for Half Baked 2

Dexter Darden and Tim Meadows in Binge 2 on Hulu
Hulu

"I can't say a lot, obviously," prefaced Darden. "But I have the opportunity to play Thurgood Jenkins Jr. and follow in Dave Chappelle's steps in that way, bringing back the original Mary Jane, and having a new cast and crew like we do. This story is one that I think people will love. Michael Tiddes, our director, and Justin Hires, who wrote it, have done a really great job of paying homage to the original film while simultaneously making it new and fun, because you know, it's still Half Baked. So we got to make sure that we make all the people who are old fans of the classic, like we are, happy."

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Delivering a sequel or reboot to a beloved classic is always a tall order, and there's never a perfect recipe to do so. For Darden, though, the ideal cocktail for Half Baked 2 was one part respect to the old, one part embrace of the new, and a dash of the creatively unexpected. Darden elaborated:

That's one thing that I was really trying to bring home. You know, I watched the movie four times again before I started filming it, and got so reacquainted with it in my mind. I really hope to just hammer home the point that the audience is equally happy as the creatives in this position. So I hope that you guys enjoy it.

Satisfying everyone is usually impossible, but fans of the original Half Baked are hopefully laid-back, genial people who will love to revisit this classic 25 years later. An entire generation, culturally different but bound by the universality of humor and perhapos getting high, are set to experience Half Baked for the first time with this new sequel. It will be interesting to see how they pull it off.

In the meantime, Darden is starring in It's a Wonderful Binge on Hulu, a delightfully ribald, naughty Christmas comedy which premieres December 9 on the streaming service.