‘Super Troopers’ Team Sets Hunchback of Notre Dame Satire ‘Quasi’ at Searchlight

Matt Donnelly
·2 min read

Broken Lizard, the comedy troupe behind the film franchise “Super Troopers,” is teeing up a new movie with Searchlight Pictures.

“Quasi,” a satirical take on The Hunchback of Notre Dame, just kicked off production in Los Angeles. The film will follow a hapless hunchback who 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.

More from Variety

Kevin Heffernan will direct and star. He wrote the script with his troupe members Steve Lemme, Jay Chandrasekhar, Paul Soter and Erik Stolhanske — who will all costar and serve as executive producers. Richard Perello will produce. Adrianne Palicki (“The Orville”, “Friday Night Lights”) is also set to star. The film will debut exclusively on Hulu in the U.S., and on Disney Plus and Star Plus around the world.

“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.”

Searchlight released the “Super Troopers” films, with the first installment clocking as a sleeper hit. Premiering in 2001 with a reported $3 million budget, it grossed over $23 million at the domestic box office.

“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 is also reuniting with its frequent collaborative craftspeople, including director of photography Joe Collins (“Super Troopers 2”), production designer Bianca Ferro (“Tacoma FD”), costume designer Kelly Kwon, hair department head Lorna Reid, makeup department head Amy Sparks, line producer Matt Medlin and casting director Wendy O’Brien (“Bad Trip,” “Dave”). Richard Ruiz and Apolline Berty are overseeing the project for the studio.

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. Broken Lizard is currently in development on the 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.”

Best of Variety

Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.