Grass Roots (film)

Grass Roots
From left to right: Phineas Freakears, Freewheelin' Franklin, and Fat Freddy
Directed by	Dave Borthwick
Produced by	David Lascelles Bruce Higham Andy Leighton
Written by	Gilbert Shelton Paul B. Davies
Cinematography	Dave Alex Riddett
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

Grass Roots was a proposed clay animated film based on the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers underground comic strip created by Gilbert Shelton.

The government develops genetically modified marijuana as part of the War on Drugs, and Norbert the Nark accidentally gives the prototype to the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers. With the government on their trail, Phineas Freakears, Freewheelin' Franklin, and Fat Freddy are forced to leave town, acquiring a remote plot of land in order to fulfill their dream of retiring to grow marijuana in the country. Three women join the Freak Brothers' commune, but because gender politics have changed since the 1970s, they do not see eye to eye with the Brothers' free love philosophy.

Before Grass Roots, there had been several attempts to film the stories. There was even an unauthorized pornographic film titled Up in Flames, which "ripped off the Freak Brothers, Mr. Natural and Cheech and Chong all in one go."

In 1979, Rip Off Press received $250,000 from Universal Pictures for a five-year option on a live action film based on the characters. Although a script was written, the movie was never filmed. It was rumored that Universal bought the rights in order to prevent competition against the Cheech and Chong franchise. Over the next 25 years there were several more options taken on film rights, but none of them went to production.

In 2006, Celluloid Dreams, in association with bolexbrothers and X Filme, began production on an animated film based on the Freak Brothers comics. Grass Roots was directed by Dave Borthwick, whose previous credits include The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb and The Magic Roundabout. Cinematographer Dave Alex Riddett previously worked as the cinematographer on Aardman Animations productions, including the Wallace and Gromit shorts and feature film, and Chicken Run. Test animation was released through the official website of the Celluloid Dreams production company. As of 2012, the film was still in pre-production limbo, with the producers still unable to raise the necessary budget, they are working on adapting the story into a stage-musical.