Ed Helms and Christina Applegate have to postpone their trip to WallyWorld.
New Line Pictures has put their formerly greenlit Vacation franchise relaunch on hold while a dispute between writers/first-time directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein and the studio over the film’s possible rating. According to the Hollywood Reporter, “some wanting to make a broader, PG-13 movie while others want to keep it R-rated, like the original.”
Helms is set to star in the franchise reboot as Rusty Griswold, the grown up son of Chevy Chase’s franchise lead Clark Griswold, with Applegate as his wife. Chase and his Vacation co-star Beverly D’Angelo have been secured for a cameo appearance.
The Reporter stated that it was unclear as to who was on which side of the disagreement, but my gut says that it is probably the studio which wants the PG-13 rating as it allows for a bigger potential ticket buying audience. While thr original Vacation and its first sequel, Eurpoean Vacation (1985), were rated R, it was 1989’s PG-13 rated Christmas Vacastion that was the franchise’s biggest box officer earner pulling in $71.3 million in domestic ticket sales.
The production was already ramping up to start shooting in July in Atlanta. It is unknown right now as to when things might be started back up. The Hollywood Reporter is stating “One source says the delay will last only a few months, but others say the movie could be pushed to later this year.”
