John Cena and Lil Rel Howery become Vacation Friends in first look at raunchy Hulu comedy

Do you remember vacations? Those things we took before we were locked in our houses for the past year or so?

While you might still be a bit hesitant to travel, Lil Rel Howery (Get Out) views his raunchy new Hulu comedy Vacation Friends as a "brochure" for the return of vacations and a reminder of "how much you need to get away."

Directed by Silicon Valley vet Clay Tarver, Vacation Friends stars Howery as Marcus, the uptight owner of a construction company who heads to a Mexican resort for a much-needed vacation with his fiancée, Emily (Insecure's Yvonne Orji). That's where they encounter thrill-seeking partyers Ron (F9's John Cena) and Kyla (Search Party's Meredith Hagner), and engage in a week of debauchery. But what happens on vacation doesn't stay on vacation when, months later, Ron and Kyla show up to Marcus and Emily's big day — uninvited.

"The chemistry is uncanny with the four of us," says Howery, a wrestling fan who calls it "surreal" to work with Cena. "Wrestling is hilarious, so I wasn't surprised how funny he was, but I was surprised by how open he was to whatever. He also knows how to do a lot of random stuff. I'd be sitting in the lobby like, 'Who's playing the piano?' and I walkover and it's John Cena just playing away!"

It's fair to wonder whether Howery might be a little scarred by his recent adventures, considering the last time he "partied" was March 2020 in Puerto Rico before Vacation shut down filming due to COVID-19. Then there's the danger he put himself in for Netflix 's prank comedy Bad Trip. Any hesitancy for the next getaway?

"Between this and Bad Trip, I'm not nervous to go any place," he cracks. "Nothing can get crazier."

Vacation Friends begins streaming Aug. 27 on Hulu.

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