ARTICLES AND INTERVIEWS: PRODUCTION INFORMATION Taj Badalandabad -Kal Penn, the personal assistant to the legendary Van Wilder, has just graduated Coolidge College and is now on his way to England’s Camford University. THE NEXT STEP IN “VAN”-OLOGY Kal Penn, who starred in the original Van Wilder as Taj Badalandabad – disciple and assistant to Van himself – has since starred in films like Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle, Superman Returns and The Namesake. ABOUT THE PRODUCTION The film came together under the careful eye of Mort Nathan, who previously co-wrote and directed Boat Trip in addition to writing the Farrelly Brothers’ cult hit Kingpin. ABOUT THE SOUNDTRACK To accompany Taj’s travels and insights the filmmakers enlisted New York rockers Jonny Lives! And their new single “Get Steady.”

NATIONAL LAMPOON’S VAN WILDER: THE RISE OF TAJ

PRODUCTION INFORMATION

Taj Badalandabad (Kal Penn), the personal assistant to the legendary Van Wilder, has just graduated Coolidge College and is now on his way to England’s Camford University. Taj is on a quest to follow in the footsteps of his father’s legend as a ladies’ man at Camford, beginning with membership to an exclusive campus Fraternal Guild, the Fox and Hounds, where Taj hopes he will become the next generation of Badalandabads to be deservedly nicknamed the “Sultan of Sheets.”

But when Taj arrives at the venerated campus, he quickly discovers that he has not, in fact, been accepted to the Fraternal Guild, and that the stuffy head of the Fox and Hounds – Pip Everett (Daniel Percival), the Earl of Grey – is, in fact, a wanker.

After his faithful bulldog Ballzac leaves a present on one of the Fox and Hounds antique chairs, Taj seeks out the only housing available on campus and finds himself suddenly “Head of House” for a group of student misfits – Sadie (Holly Davidson), a gorgeous Cockney girl with a mouth like a sailor; Seamus (Glen Barry), an ale-swillin’ English-baiting Irishman; Gethin (Anthony Cozens), a dual math and quantum physics major who is not only brainy but super-nerdy; and Simon (Steven Rathman), who never speaks.

Also, as part of his duties, Taj finds out that he will be a history teacher to his new mates and that his teaching supervisor will be Charlotte Higginson (Lauren Cohan), a serious English beauty with a wild streak who just happens to be dating Pip Everett. Taj is instantly smitten with Charlotte. Charlotte instantly is not smitten in return.

Taj reaches deep to channel his inner Van Wilder and decides to take on the challenge set before him – not only will he transform the band of misfits into Big Men (and Woman) on Campus, he will give the Fox and Hounds and Pip a run for their money. At the campus Society Inaugural Ball, Taj announces to the uptight crowd that he and his new mates are starting their own exclusive society - the Cock and Bulls. And the Fox and Hounds will be meeting the Cock and at the venerable Camford Cup - an ongoing series of campus academic events and athletic competitions.

Taj’s skills at teaching history – and other slightly less academic subjects – whip his band of adopted ruffians into the leanest, meanest and sexiest fraternal society ever to muss the sheets at Camford. His ingenuity and resourcefulness is not lost on Charlotte as Taj does everything he can to draw her attention away from Pip. And as he faces the first test of his newly gained insights into the female sex, Taj realizes firsthand that sometimes you have got to let you’re heart lead you, even if you know it’s taking you places you’re not supposed to go.

MGM Pictures presents National Lampoon’s Van Wilder: The Rise of Taj, starring Kal Penn (Van Wilder, Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle), Dan Perceval, Lauren Cohan (Casanova), Holly Davidson (Flirting With Flamenco), Anthony Cozens (Bleak House), and Glen Barry (The Draft). Directed by Mort Nathan from a screenplay by David Gallagher based on characters by Brent Goldberg and David Wagner, the film is produced by Peter Abrams, Robert L. Levy, Andrew Panay, Elie Samaha and Natan Zahavi, and executive produced by Kal Penn and Daniel Spilo.

The creative behind-the-scenes team is led by cinematographer Hubert Taczanowski, production designer Chris Roope, editors John Axness and Sherwood Jones, and costume designer Stephanie Collie. Music is by Robert Folk. The film is a co-production of Bauer Martinez Studios, Myriad Pictures and Tapestry Films.

National Lampoon’s Van Wilder: The Rise of Taj is distributed in North America by MGM Pictures.