If you grew up in the ‘80s or ’90s, chances are you fell in love with the Griswold family, particularly the ever-excitable patriarch Clark who is determined to give his family, reluctant though they might be, the best vacation (or Christmas, depending on the movie) ever — at all costs. Yet it seems to always run into some, er, hiccups.
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In this reboot/sequel, titled simply Vacation, Helms will take on the role of Rusty, which was originally played by ‘80s golden child Anthony Michael Hall, and rotated through several actors from there. Judging by the photo, Debbie and Rusty have two teenage sons of their own now. Meanwhile, Applegate strikes an oddly similar look to Rusy’s Mom, set on opposing sides of the shot. You have to wonder if that will play a part in the comedic antics somewhere.
While she isn’t pictured in any of the promo shots, Leslie Mann will play Rusty’s sister, Audrey, who was originally played by Dana Barron. Skyler Gisondo and Steele Stebbins will play the two kids. Chris Hemsworth and Charlie Day are also confirmed cast members, though they may have more of a cameo role — their part in the tale has yet to be revealed.
The premise will follow the typical Griswold archetype, with Helms and Applegate making a cross-country trip to take their kids to Walley World, the very same amusement park that spawned so much mayhem in the original 1983 classic. As anyone who’s seen the first of the franchise knows, the park was closed for repairs when the family got there.
But, much like life, the real adventure of the original Vacation wasn’t in the destination, but the journey. And, chances are, the second generation will have its own set of trials and tribulations to comically conquer — with grandma and grandpa likely coming along for the ride, too.
The new film was written and directed by Jonathan M. Goldstein and John Francis Daley, who together created Horrible Bosses. Daley also starred in Freaks and Geeks and Bones.
This will be the fifth sequel in this National Lampoon’s franchise, which has seen the Griswolds attempt to go the aforementioned amusement park, Europe, Vegas and, of course, the iconic Christmas flick.
Interestingly, Helms and Mann will also be the fifth actors to play the characters of Rusty and Audrey, respectively. Following Hall, the Rusty role was played by Jason Lively (Blake Lively’s half-brother), Johnny Galecki (Big Bang Theory), and Ethan Embry (Empire Records). In addition to Barron, Audrey has been played by the late Dana Hill, Juliette Lewis, and Marisol Nichols.
Vacation is set to hit theaters on July 31.
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