Chris Hemsworth plays the sexy weatherman in "Vacation"

Australian actor and “Thor” himself, Chris Hemsworth dips his toes in the comedy pool with New Line Cinema's adult rib tickler, “Vacation.”

Hemsworth plays Stone Crandall, a popular on-air forecaster who has done very well and is on the cusp of even more success, with the ranch and cattle and man toys to prove it. And as the Griswold's trip spirals out of control, Rusty (Ed Helms) and his family find themselves on his doorstep.

To find the perfect man that is Stone Crandall, the filmmakers looked to the gods, or at least one of them. Hemsworth, who has notably saved the world as the popular mythical figure Thor, was excited to come on board. "I grew up on the 'Vacation' films like most people my age, so I was all in," says Hemsworth. "But this was also an opportunity to do something different. I loved the script and the character and the cast involved. It was a no-brainer. I knew it would be a blast."

Hemsworth describes his character as "a cheesy weatherman, a bit of a douche bag who has some old-fashioned views of the world. He gets away with a lot of the outrageous things he's saying and doing because he's charming and you kind of forgive him for it."

Although Hemsworth is known as a dramatic actor, he was thrown into the comedy deep end with the rest of the veteran cast.

"He was astounding. Just so funny and likeable," remarks . "You know, you wanna hate a guy who's that handsome but we all developed man crushes and just wanted to hang around him."

Hemsworth describes Stone's relationship with his wife, Audrey (Leslie Mann), as "hugely sexual, I believe. It's probably the only thing that they have in common or agree upon."

That isn't all that is huge. Even bigger than his ego are his family jewels. Stone Crandall is distractingly, epicly endowed. Unfortunately, having his brother-in-law's natural perfection literally in his face only makes things worse for Rusty, who holds his own relationship up to Stone's as a measuring stick....which leads to one of the film's most outrageous scenes.

“I don’t have a background in comedy, but everyone on this film couldn’t be more welcoming or more supportive,” shares Hemsworth. “I was nervous coming into it but they’ve all made it a wonderful experience.”

Following in his father’s footsteps and hoping for some much-needed family bonding, a grown-up Rusty Griswold (Ed Helms) surprises his wife, Debbie (Christina Applegate), and their two sons with a cross-country trip back to America’s “favorite family fun park,” Walley World.


Opening across the Philippines August 19, “Vacation” is a New Line Cinema presentation and will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment company.

“THE BOOK OF LIFE” FLIPS THROUGH THE PAGES OF FRIENDSHIP, TRUE LOVE AND STRONG FAMILY VALUES

                Reel FX Animation and Reel FX Animationopen the pages of “The Book of Life” and present a grand mythology set in visually spectacular worlds never seen before. The film brings together director Jorge R. Gutierrez’s unique visual style and a crowd-pleasing mix of adventure, action, comedy, romance and music with a voice cast as lively as their animated characters – Channing Tatum, Zoe Saldana, Christina Applegate, Diego Luna,  Ice Cube, Ron Perlman and Hector Elizondo.

“The Book of Life,” a vibrant animated fantasy-adventure, tells the legend of Manolo (Luna), a conflicted hero and dreamer who sets off on an epic quest through magical, mythical and wondrous worlds in order to reunite with his one true love Maria (Saldana) and defend his village.   But Manolo and his equally courageous best friend Joaquin (Tatum)are not your typical Prince Charmings; the object of their affections is far from being your average princess; and “The Book of Life” is a fairy tale that doesn’t go by the book.

Its journey to the big screen began with, appropriately enough, a friendship.  Producer Brad Booker, a Reel FX development executive, had known Gutierrez (known for the multiple Emmy and Annie winning series “El Tigre, The Adventures of Manny Rivera” for Nickelodeon which he created with his wife) for over a decade, and after hearing of the project, Booker believed Reel FX would be a great home for it.  The independent animation studio knew that the film needed the perfect creative partner to help guide its path and development.  Gutierrez’s first choice: legendary director, producer and author Guillermo del Toro, who like Gutierrez hails from Mexico.  Gutierrez felt del Toro’s authentic perspective and unique aesthetic sensibility were a perfect match for the film.

Del Toro was equally impressed by Gutierrez’s passion for what would become “The Book of Life.”  “Jorge is his movie,” he says, “and the movie is an imprint of his personality.  Jorge’s ideas for “The Book of Life” started with his connection to his homeland of Mexico, and presenting an exciting, never-before-experienced depiction of that country, its people and its traditions – all in a way that would be accessible to audiences around the world.”

Adds producer Brad Booker:  “Guillermo brings an authenticity and passion for this world and story.  He’s a visionary filmmaker and has been tremendously supportive of Jorge’s ideas.”  “The Book of Life” brings together Gutierrez’s perspective of his native country with a story to which everyone can relate.  He explains:  “This is a very personal movie. The inspiration comes from my family history and childhood experiences.”

Still, Gutierrez admits he embellished some elements.  “My grandfather Luis used to tell me, ‘Jorgito, don’t ever let the truth get in the way of a good story!’  And that was the moment I fell in love with storytelling.”  Gutierrez’s passion for the story, characters and their world points to the film’s broad appeal.  “If you’re telling a story and want it be universal, then you have to be specific,” del Toro explains.  “If the filmmaker loves the story and characters, then audiences will love it.  And if a filmmaker feels it’s powerful, more people will love the story he or she is telling because it’s powerful.  And that’s exactly what Jorge has done with “The Book of Life.”

“The Book of Life” opens October 16 in cinemas (2D and 3D) nationwide from 20th Century Fox thru Warner Bros.