Dylan O’Brienis set to star in directorPeter Farrelly’s Vietnam movieThe Greatest Beer Run Ever, Collider has learned.
Sources add thatJojo RabbitstarThomasin McKenzieis being eyed to play the film’s female lead, though there’s no deal in place yet, and the actress isset to starinM. Night Shyamalan’s next film as well.
Viggo Mortensenis set to co-star in the Skydance project, which is based on the true story ofJohn “Chickie” Donohue, who traveled from New York to Vietnam in 1967 just to share a few beers with his childhood buddies, who were fighting in the Army overseas.
I’d imagine that O’Brien will play Donohue, while Mortensen’s supporting role is being kept under wraps – though that doesn’t mean we can’tspeculate. The movie is a good get for O’Brien, as the source material is just crazy enough to work on the big screen. Meanwhile, Skydance lands a popular young star on the rise thanks to an upcoming turn oppositeMark WahlberginAntoine Fuqua’s big-budget sci-fi movieInfinite.
Farrelly’s film is based on the bookThe Greatest Beer Run Ever: A True Story of Friendship Stronger Than War, which Donohue co-wrote withJoanna Molloy. Farrelly co-wrote the script withBrian Currie(Green Book) andPete Jones(Hall Pass), and Skydance’sDavid Ellison,Dana GoldbergandDon Grangerwill produce withAndrew Muscato. Skydance’sAimee Riverawill oversee the project alongside Goldberg and Granger.
There’s no doubt that racial politics will be hard to ignore in a Vietnam War movie, so it’ll be interesting to see whether Farrelly usesThe Greatest Beer Run Everto address some of the criticisms lobbed atGreen Book,though I hope the director’s new film will be judged on its own merits.While critics may have been mixed onGreen Book, the film won Best Picture and grossed more than $300 million worldwide, so it clearly struck a chord with audiences.
After not appearing in any movies last year, O’Brien has three films on the horizon, including Paramount’sInfiniteand the studio’s adventure comedyMonster Problems, and the indie dramaThe Education of Fredrick Fitzell. He’s represented by WME, Principal Entertainment LA and attorney James Feldman.
