Warner Bros. has released the first red-band trailer for Vacation. The reboot/sequel marks the directorial debut of Horrible Bosses and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 scribes John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, and stars Ed Helms as a grown-up Rusty Griswold who opts to redo his childhood vacation to Walley World with his own family. Christina Applegate plays his wife, while Leslie Mann fills the role of sister Audrey.

Some might be hesitant about a new Vacation movie, either because they think the franchise lost steam or because they fear it will infringe on the greatness of the original, but that's OK because Daley and Goldstein literally address those concerns in the context of this trailer. It's a smart way to wink at how audiences feel about reboot culture while also getting across that this new film is very much it's own thing.

As for the comedy itself, the movie looks really promising. Helms fills Chevy Chase's role from the original perfectly in a way that makes sense (ie. he's his son, not a "rebooted" version of Clark), and the supporting cast is top notch. The surprise here, though, is Chris Hemsworth, whose scene I wouldn't dare ruin. I'll just say that I can't wait to see what else his character has in store for us in the full film. Moreover, it's incredibly refreshing to see that this film is unabashedly Rated R, just like the original.

Check out the NSFW Vacation trailer below, via Comedy Central, and click here to watch Steve's interview with Daley and Goldstein from CinemaCon. The film also stars  Steele Stebbins, Beverly D'Angelo, Skyler Gisondo, Nick Kroll, Charlie Day, Kaitlin Olson, Regina Hall, and Keegan-Michael Key. Vacation opens in theaters on July 31st.


Here's the synopsis:

The next generation of Griswolds is at it again.  New Line Cinema’s “Vacation,” starring Ed Helms (“The Hangover” films) and Christina Applegate (the “Anchorman” films), takes the family on the road for another ill-fated adventure.  The film marks Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley’s directorial debut.

Following in his father’s footsteps and hoping for some much-needed family bonding, a grown-up Rusty Griswold (Helms) surprises his wife, Debbie (Applegate), and their two sons with a cross-country trip back to America’s “favorite family fun park,” Walley World.

Rounding out the cast are Leslie Mann (“The Other Woman”) as Rusty’s sister, Audrey; Chris Hemsworth (the “Thor” films) in the role of Stone Crandall, Rusty’s irritatingly successful brother-in-law; and Skyler Gisondo (“Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb,” “Hard Sell”) and Steele Stebbins (“A Haunted House 2”), who play Rusty’s sons, James and Kevin.  Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo reprise their roles as Clark and Ellen Griswold from the classic “Vacation” comedies.


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Image via Warner Bros