John Cena, Lil Rel starring in Atlanta-produced “Vacation Friends”
Originally posted Wednesday, February 19, 2020 by RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog
John Cena and Lil Rel Howery are starring in a new comedy called "Vacation Friends" which is now in pre-production in metro Atlanta.
The film, produced by 20th Century Fox and Hulu, is about a straight-laced couple who have fun with a rowdy couple on vacation in Mexico. When they return to the States, they discover that the crazy couple they met in Mexico followed them back home.
Cena, the former WWE star, is already in town shooting “Suicide Squad.” He previously had a 2019 family comedy hit with “Playing With Fire.” It generated $44.5 million domestically and $66 million worldwide.
Lil Rel, who broke out in Jordan Peele’s “Get Out,” shot 2018’s “Uncle Drew” here as well. That comedy drew $42.5 million domestically.
Their wives will be played by Meredith Hagner (TBS's "Search Party") and Yvonne Orji (HBO's "Insecure").
The movie descriptives so far don’t identify which actors play which characters.
The idea of the film has been floating around for several years. Others who were previously attache to the project included Ice Cube, Chris Pratt and Anna Faris.
About the Author
Rodney Ho writes about entertainment for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution including TV, radio, film, comedy and all things in between. A native New Yorker, he has covered education at The Virginian-Pilot, small business for The Wall Street Journal and a host of beats at the AJC over 20-plus years. He loves tennis, pop culture & seeing live events.
