Vacation Friends 2, the follow-up to Hulu’s unexpectedly successful comedy, will keep the summer vacation spirit alive even if the season is winding down. A workaholic control freak named Marcus (Lil Rel Howery) seeks to plan the perfect vacation trip for his future bride Emily (Yvonne Orji) in the 2021 comedy Vacation Friends, directed by Clay Tarver.
Marcus and Emily’s romantic evening takes an unexpected turn when they run into another couple, Ron (John Cena) and Kyla (Meredith Hagner). In contrast to Marcus and Emily, who like to take things easy and plan ahead, Ron and Kyla are wild party animals who want to wing it. Ron and Kyla may seem odd at first, but Marcus and Emily soon come to see them as friends for life despite their odd behavior.
After two years apart, the couple takes a journey together and ends up visiting some distant relatives. Here’s all we know about the cast, trailer, premiere date, and more for the upcoming hilarious sequel, Vacation Friends 2.
Vacation Friends 2 Release Date
On Friday, August 25, 2018, two years after the debut of Vacation Friends, its sequel hit theaters.
Vacation Friends 2 Cast
- Lil Rel Howery as Marcus
- Yvonne Orji as Emily
- John Cena as Ron
- Meredith Hagner as Kyla
- Steve Buscemi as Reese Hackford
- Carlos Santos as Maurillio
- Ronny Chieng as Yeon
- Jamie Hector as Warren
- Lovensky Jean-Baptiste as Jerome
- Julee Cerda as Mrs. Kim
- Kevin Yamada as Minjin
Vacation Friends 2 Plot
Marcus and I were in for a wild trip the first time around, courtesy of Ron and Kyla’s antics. With their return, we can look forward to more hilarious antics from both couples. The sequel follows up a few months after the conclusion of the first film, at least according to the synopsis. Marcus and Emily win a trip to a Caribbean resort, where he plans to bid on a hotel construction contract, complete with all costs covered.
Who, then, will they choose to invite? Obviously, their “most fearless companions”! Ron and Kyla, also newlyweds, bring their infant along on their trip. Kyla’s father, Reese, who had just been released from jail, also shows up. His unannounced arrival at the resort where his pals are vacationing causes the situation to spiral out of control, transforming their “perfect trip into total chaos.”
Vacation Friends 2 Creators
Clay Tarver is back at the helm for Vacation Friends 2 as writer and director. Tarver’s prior work in film was as a writer, director, and producer on the critically acclaimed HBO comedy series Silicon Valley. Stuart M. Besser (The Trial of the Chicago 7), Renee Confair (The Short List), and Todd Garner (Mortal Kombat) will be the film’s producers.
Mark Mothersbaugh (Thor: Ragnarok), Tim Suhrstedt (Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure), Tim Roche (Thor: Love and Thunder), Marin Laing (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows), and Virginia Johnson (Spenser Confidential) round out the team as composer, cinematographer, editor, production designer, and costume designer, respectively.
Vacation Friends 2 Trailer
Vacation Friends 2 picks off immediately after the events of the previous film, with Marcus, Emily, Ron, and Kyla getting back together for another fantastic vacation. This time around, the crew is taking Ron and Kyla to a Caribbean resort on the house to celebrate their recent nuptials and the arrival of their first child. Kyla’s formerly incarcerated father unexpectedly shows up, and Marcus has to meet key business clients, so the party doesn’t go off without a hitch.
As you will notice from the trailer down below, not only do the film’s comedic protagonists return from the critically acclaimed first film, but so does the group’s signature brand of mayhem.
Where to watch Vacation Friends 2?
In the United States, you may watch the highly anticipated Hulu Original comedy film on Hulu. The film will premiere as an original on Star+ in Latin America on the same day it premieres in the region. The Vacation Friends sequel will be accessible on Disney+ in all other regions across the world.
Vacation Friends 2 Review
The original Vacation Friends was a pleasant surprise amid Hulu’s offerings, and the sequel is just as good. Finding and making a successful studio comedy in today’s market is challenging. While not flawless, Vacation Friends 2 delivers on its promise. The plot makes sense, the actors grasp their roles, and the comedy keeps up a steady pace. Tarver’s script allows established actors and rookies equal screen time.
While Cena and Hagner are primarily responsible for the humor, Santos makes the most of his own C-plot. If the main cast is the main course, then the special sauces are Santos, Chieng, and Buscemi. The sequel to “Vacation Friends” isn’t as good as “Superbad” or “Anchorman,” but in the year 2020, we’ll be lucky if we have even two comedies from this decade to watch online.
A fresh plot involving a Caribbean drug dealer played by The Wire’s Jamie Hector is the primary change between Vacation Friends and Vacation Friends 2. Some could argue that comedies that try to include narrative threads like this are trying to do too much, yet in the case of Vacation Friends 2, everything works out perfectly. Having Buscemi play the unreliable father ensures the dramatic aspects flow smoothly. Thanks to Hector’s charisma, Vacation Friends 2 is a solid comedy that never strays from its intended genre.