Vacation Friends 2 Release Date, Cast, Trailer, Plot And More Details

It was only a couple of summers ago that Hulu teamed up with 20th Century Studios to release "Vacation Friends." And that same summer, the laugh-out-loud raunch fest became one of the biggest hits the streamer has ever released. In fact, when "Vacation Friends" hit the platform, it was the most streamed original production in Hulu's history. 

That fact is all the more impressive as the comedy was initially tabbed for a theatrical release, with 20th Century bosses opting to pivot to streaming amid pandemic delays and complications. Still, "Vacation Friends" hit Hulu, boasting some serious star power in Lil Rel Howery, Yvonne Orji, John Cena, and Meredith Hagner. And streamers clearly loved what they saw in the story of an uptight couple (Howery and Orji) cutting loose on vacation with freewheeling party animals (Cena and Hagner). The hook of the film is, of course, that the couples find they have a little less in common when the vacation ends, and they make their way back to the day-to-day grind.

Given the success of "Vacation Friends," it's hardly a surprise Hulu and 20th would want to go all in on a sequel. And the wily foursome is indeed set to saddle up for another round of hard-partying antics in "Vacation Friends 2." Here's everything you need to know about the upcoming sequel.  

Development on the "Vacation Friends" sequel was initially announced mere days after the film began racking up streaming hours on Hulu in the summer of 2021. But mum has pretty much been the word on the follow-up thereafter, with the cast (particularly Lil Rel Howery and John Cena) keeping themselves exceedingly busy since "Vacation Friends" debuted.

The silence surrounding the sequel has finally broken, however, with Deadline reporting the film has undergone a title change since it was first announced, switching from the original "Honeymoon Friends" to the more traditional sequel name "Vacation Friends 2." Among several other announcements, 20th Century Studios confirmed that "Vacation Friends 2" will premiere almost two years to the day as its predecessor, tabbing August 25, 2023, as the film's official release date. And just in case there was any question, the sequel will follow the same release strategy as the original, premiering exclusively on Hulu.

If you're among the many streamers who indulged in the original "Vacation Friends" insanity, you know it took place in two distinct timeframes, that of the titular couples meeting and partying hard during a Mexican sojourn and a few months later, when the thrill-seeking Ron (Cena) and Kyla (Hagner) crash the wedding of the more restrained Marcus (Howery) and Emily (Orji). Hilarious and surprisingly heartfelt hijinks ensue on both ends of the action, with the couples ultimately coming together in party-forged friendship by the story's end.

As reported by Deadline, "Vacation Friends 2" will tweak the formula a bit as the unlikely friendship is now on more concrete ground. Fear not, the fearsome foursome are still vacation bound for the sequel, with new parents Ron and Kyla joining newlyweds Marcus and Emily on a business and pleasure mingling trip to a posh Caribbean resort. This time the trip takes a turn for the wild when Kyla's incarcerated papa Reese is released early from a stint in San Quentin and impulsively decides to join the Caribbean party. And it should be an absolute hoot to see how all that plays out.

As for who will be playing Kyla's dear old dad, Reese, Deadline confirms the great Steve Buscemi is officially joining the revelry for "Vacation Friends 2." As of this writing, little is known about the character save for his paternal relations and criminal background. But one can't help but think the hows and whys of his imprisonment will likely play into the movie's overarching narrative.

While it will be brilliant to see Buscemi crash the sequel with a howdy, "How do you do, fellow vacation revelers," fans of the first romp will be just as happy to learn the core four players from the original will all be returning for the followup. That seems like a minor miracle given how busy the gang has been since they were last on set together, with John Cena proving the busiest bee of all, counting the sequel among eight projects he's got set for release this year alone. Still, Cena and his busy "Vacation Friends" cast mates making time to return for the sequel is likely a clear sign they had a blast working together on the first one.

Per IMDb, the gang will also be joined by returning "Vacation Friends" co-star Carlos Santos (he played Maurillio) and "M3GAN" alum Ronny Chieng.

Seems there was just as much friending going on behind the scenes of "Vacation Friends" as there was on screen because Deadline is reporting the bulk of the creative team has returned for the sequel as well. That includes the original film's ace writing team, fronted by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, who also count "Spider-Man: Homecoming" and "Horrible Bosses" among their various credits. Daley and Goldstein have been as busy as any filmmakers in Hollywood since "Vacation Friends" was released, recently writing and directing the blockbuster fantasy hit "Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves." The duo is joined on the sequel by "Vacation Friends" sibling originators Tom and Tim Mullen, with "Silicon Valley" alum Clay Tarver rounding out the writing team.

Tarver, of course, also claimed the director's chair on "Vacation Friends," and he will be calling the shots on the sequel too. That's no doubt great news for "Vacation Friends 2" as Tarver displayed a unique flair for lensing comic chaos in the first film and will likely be able to push things even further for the sequel. Given the talent he'll be working with on both sides of the camera, things are looking good for "Vacation Friends 2."

With an official trailer, Hulu and 20th Century Studios began its promotional campaign for its late summer direct-to-streaming release "Vacation Friends 2" on August 11, 2023, two weeks before the film itself was set to debut. Like the original "Vacation Friends," the sequel will also generate a lot of comedy from the tension of two mismatched couples. The trailer opens with Emily and Marcus preparing to board a flight, in search of some much-needed rest and relaxation. Then a voice comes over the loudspeaker identifying the pair (by name) as criminals — a crass prank pulled by their old vacation friends, Kyla and Ron. The foursome get a chance to catch up and a stranger presents Kyla and Ron with her missing baby that they didn't know had crawled away. 

Then it's off to a beautiful beachside resort, actually the site of a work function for Marcus. His plan to have some fun and get rid of Kyla and Ron before he can get down to business goes awry due to a scheduling snafu, and before long those obnoxious vacation friends are embarrassing themselves (and Emily and Marcus) with their rowdy, hard-partying antics. But things really go off the wall when Kyla's father shows up, just out of prison and bringing along a criminal element. Along with that some car chases, exploding airplanes, and surfing mishaps. That's just regular vacation stuff for these "Vacation Friends."