Sheryl Lee Ralph may be known to “Abbott Elementary” viewers as the straight-laced kindergarten teacher Barbara Howard, but her new film will introduce fans to a more free-spirited side of the actress.
In “The Fabulous Four,” which hits theaters July 26, Ralph, Susan Sarandon and Megan Mullally play a group of friends that reunite as bridesmaids in the wedding of their college bestie, played by Bette Midler. The trailer premiered Sunday.
“Over the course of one outrageous trip, sisterhoods are rekindled, the past resurfaces and there are enough sparks, raunch and romance to change all their lives in unexpected ways,” the movie’s logline reads, according to Variety.
The trailer shows Midler’s character, Marilyn, surprising her friends with the announcement of her impending marriage, just two months after her previous husband died. Things become more complicated when it’s revealed that Sarandon’s character, Lou, had feelings for Marilyn’s deceased husband and feels that she stole him from her.
From there, the ladies engage in viral TikToks, a parasailing adventure gone wrong, tons of raunchy jokes and typical bachelorette party fun, like a boozy pedal tour and NSFW matching accessories.
At one point, Ralph’s character, Kitty, jokes about the godly qualities of weed gummies.
“Does this look like a sin to you? My gummies are a near-religious experience,” Ralph says. (This is a stark departure from Ralph’s “Abbott” character Barbara, who refers to marijuana as “the Devil’s lettuce” and says her “drug of choice” is Jesus. But she does enjoy a bottle of Chardonnay every now and then.)
Ralph joined the film, which is being distributed by indie studio Bleecker Street, after production began. She took over a role that was being played by Sissy Spacek, who dropped out due to scheduling conflicts.
“If three’s a crowd, then four’s a party baby,” Ralph wrote of the film on Instagram. “We’re taking a trip to Key West for the surprise wedding of a lifetime.”
Ralph’s Instagram post received supportive comments from her “Abbott Elementary” co-stars Quinta Brunson and Lisa Ann Walter. Their award-winning sitcom, set in a Philly public school, concluded its third season last month by showing off a more lighthearted side of Barbara, who got a little tipsy at a house party and danced around with an Allen Iverson cardboard cutout. “Abbott Elementary” is returning to ABC for a fourth season, with its writers scheduled to start work this month.
While awaiting new “Abbott” episodes, check out the full trailer for “The Fabulous Four” below: