Following its premiere at SXSW, anticipation for HBO's upcoming comedy series, Vice Principals, has been roiling. One would need little more reason to be excited for the series' premiere beyond the fact that the show centers on two vice principals feuding for the coveted job of head principal, and that those two characters are played by the invaluable team of Danny McBride and Walton Goggins. Word out of SXSW, however, focused just as much attention on one particular cameo role in the series as much as the Justified and Eastbound & Down veterans. That role would be that of the principal who is stepping down, and in the latest promo for the series, we get our first look at Bill Murray in that very role.

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Image via HBO

This is a quintessential Murray move, finding a small but meaningful role to play in a project that speaks to his particular timbre of comedy. His work in Parks & Recreation, as well as cult sensation Zombieland, is representative of this instinct, and appearing in Vice Principals, the latest series created by McBride's longtime collaborator, Jody Hill, seems perfectly in line with those decisions. From what I've been hearing, Murray only appears in the first episode but honestly, any dose of Murray's particularly dry sense of humor and enlivening presence will do.


His work certainly bolstered The Jungle Book, in which he voiced the lovable Baloo, and he's scheduled to make a cameo appearance in Paul Feig's Ghostbusters reboot, as well as in Wes Anderson's upcoming stop-motion animated film, naturally. Both these projects are promising, but to see him trading lines with McBride and Goggins in front of the school where the two would-be schoolmasters will war for several episodes (and hopefully more) is a unique delight.

You can check out the promo for Vice Principals right below. The series will premiere on HBO on July 17th at 10:30 PM EST.


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Image via HBO

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Image via HBO