It looks like “Vacation” is still happening, and they're adding cast members that are making me really want to see this movie.
When I interviewed John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein about their film “The Incredible Burt Wonderstone,” they were still just signed to write a new “Vacation” film. Since then, they've also been announced as directors for the film, and it's gone through some development twists and turns, including what felt like a step back just before they went into production so they could consider their options and fine tune it some more.
If Chris Hemsworth is set to play Audrey's husband in the film, as Borys Kit reported today, that's Stone Crandall, described in the script as “tall, confident and weatherman-handsome.” Will Weather God do?
The Charlie Day character is a little different, though, since the river rafting guide in the script, “Chad,” feels like he's meant for a really different kind of actor. Daley and Goldstein no doubt will change the character to better play to Day's strengths, and since they wrote both “Horrible Bosses” and “Horrible Bosses 2,” I'd say they're probably well-acquainted with what they like about him as a performer.
This is the version of “Vacation” that serves as a genuine sequel to the films that already exist instead of a total reboot. Ed Helms is playing Rusty Griswold, the grown-up son of Clark (Chevy Chase) and Ellen (Beverly D'Angelo), and this film deals with his desire to give his kids the great vacation that he never quite had as a kid himself. I didn't think the version I read was great yet, but I I did think they had the core of it right. If you were raised by Clark, you'd have a pretty complicated relationship with the entire idea of a vacation, and it's pretty smart to have Rusty revisit that and try to reclaim it. With Christina Applegate onboard as Rusty's wife Debbie and both Chase and D'Angelo onboard as Clark and Ellen, the film is finally set to start production next month.
I'm more than willing to join them for one more trip down the Holiday Road. How about you?