Lionsgate has set a July 31, 2020 release date for Kristen Wiig’s comedy “Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar.”
The story follows titular best friends Barb (Annie Mumolo) and Star (Wiig), who leave their small Midwestern town for the first time to go on vacation in Vista Del Mar, Fla., where they soon find themselves tangled up in adventure, love, and a villain’s evil plot to kill everyone in town. Jamie Dornan and Damon Wayans Jr also star.
Josh Greenbaum is directing from a script by Mumolo and Wiig. The duo, who are also producing alongside Will Ferrell, Adam McKay and Jessica Elbaum, received an Academy Award nomination for the original script for the 2011 hit “Bridesmaids.”
The project received notice in May when it was announced that it would not shoot in Georgia, following the signing of anti-abortion legislation in the Hollywood-centric state. The bill, which will go into effect next year if not struck down by the courts, seeks to ban abortions after the detection of a fetal heartbeat, and has become a lightning rod for protest and outcry since Georgia governor Brian Kemp signed it in early May.
The state’s generous 30% tax rebate for film and TV production has made it an optimal location for shoots, contributing an estimated 92,000 jobs and a thriving community of artisans and craftspeople.
“Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar” will open against Sony-Marvel’s “Morris” and Paramount’s animated “Rumble.”