The stars of the movie remake of CHiPs have defended the film after criticism from one of the original TV show’s lead actors.

Michael Pena said former CHiPs star Larry Wilcox might be “bitter” about not appearing in the new action comedy as he responded to the actor’s critical remarks on Twitter.

Wilcox, who played officer Jon Baker in the 1970s and 1980s drama series about the California Highway Patrol, recently claimed the film had “ruined the brand of CHiPs” after a trailer was released.

Erik Estrada (left) and Larry Wilcox in the 1970s and 1980s popular drama.

Pena, who plays Erik Estrada’s character Ponch in the movie, said: “Every time I said; ‘Man I’m doing CHiPs’, 100 per cent of the time they would ask: ‘is Erik Estrada going to be in it?’ Unfortunately, or whatever, not a lot of people ask for Larry. He hasn’t even seen the movie. Maybe he’s just bitter that he wasn’t in the movie.”

Writer and director Dax Shepard, who plays Baker in the new film, said Estrada makes a cameo appearance but Wilcox was not asked to be involved.

“He seems to be unhappy,” Shepard said. “I wish he liked it and that’s unfortunate he doesn’t.

“When I told people I was doing CHiPs – probably 100 people – 100 of them asked me if Erik Estrada was going to be in the movie. I said: ‘I’ve got to put that man in this movie or people are going to be very upset’.”

Wilcox has posted a series of messages on Twitter voicing his displeasure at previews of the CHiPs movie.

“Way to go Warner Bros – just ruined the brand of CHIPS and of the California Highway Patrol. Great choice!” he wrote in one tweet.

Another tweet read: “The new version of CHIPS the Movie coming out......sick crap.”

Wilcox also posted: “Can’t wait for the latest version of Dumb and Dumber in CHiPs uniforms.”