Zac Efron and Russell Crowe are set to star in adaptation of Vietnam war memoir The Greatest Beer Run Ever from Green Book director Peter Farrelly
Zac Efron and Russell Crowe will be starring in an adaptation of the book The Greatest Beer Run Ever: A Memoir Of Friendship, Loyalty, And War.
Peter Farrelly, whose movie Green Book controversially won the best picture Oscar two years ago, is directing the project.
Negotiations are underway to get Apple Studios behind the new movie and have Bill Murray take on a supporting part, Deadline reports.
Incoming: Zac Efron and Russell Crowe will be starring in an adaptation of the book The Greatest Beer Run Ever: A Memoir of Friendship, Loyalty, And War
The book recounts the experiences of John ‘Chick’ Donohue who went on a madcap mission to Vietnam during the war to give beer and moral support to U.S. troops.
Donohue co-wrote the memoir with reporter J.T. Molloy and it became a New York Times bestseller after its release last year.
The idea for the beer run came when Chick, himself an ex-Marine, was having a drink in his neighborhood of Inwood, Manhattan and chatting to bartender George Lynch.
As the antiwar movement reached a fever pitch George and Chick decided the troops could do with a reminder of the love for them back home.
Legend: The book recounts the experiences of John ‘Chick’ Donohue who went on a madcap mission to Vietnam during the war to give beer and moral support to U.S. troops
Making it through: In a recent video for Pabst Blue Ribbon he shared some of the hair-raising adventures he survived while traveling through the warzone
Nowadays: Chick Donohue is seen in a photograph taken early last year
‘Somebody ought to go over to ‘Nam, track down the boys from the neighborhood and bring them each a beer!’ said George – and Chick took up the challenge.
He traveled back to Vietnam – where he had been before as a merchant seaman – and brought brews and messages from home to the Inwood boys fighting overseas.
When he returned to Inwood and walked into the bar where it all began George Lynch shouted joyfully: ‘He’s here! He’s alive!’ Chick told Pabst Blue Ribbon.
Peter Farrelly worked on the screenplay with one of his Green Book co-writers Brian Currie as well one of his Hall Pass co-writers Pete Jones.
Smash: Chick Donohue co-wrote the memoir with reporter J.T. Molloy and it became a New York Times bestseller after its release last year
He rose to fame with his brother Bobby Farrelly making comedies such as Dumb And Dumber, There’s Something About Mary and Stuck On You.
However Peter made a pivot into awards bait territory with the 2018 drama Green Book starring Mahershala Ali and Viggo Mortensen.
Mahershala portrayed a gay black pianist who played the Jim Crow South traveling with a New York bouncer played by Viggo in what was based on a true story.
Remember when: Peter Farrelly, whose movie Green Book controversially won the best picture Oscar two years ago, is directing, according to Deadline