Kal Penn -- the guy who plays Kumar in the "Harold & Kumar" movies -- has yet another stoner flick in the pipeline ... and he's leaving Barack Obama's side to film it.
Penn and co-star John Cho (left) are slated to appear in the third installment of the Harold & Kumar series in 2011... and according to EW, it's gonna be Christmas-themed.
Penn is returning to Hollywood after ditching his acting career -- also notable for his role on "House" -- to join the Obama administration last year as an Associate Director in the Office of Public Engagement.
No word on how Obama plans to fill the actor's shoes.
