The west bank of the Hudson River is continuing to grow into a popular film shoot destination and the latest movie to set up in Jersey City comes courtesy of an Oscar-winning director.
Back in September, Skydance Media began production on the upcoming feature film “The Greatest Beer Run Ever.” The movie is being directed by Peter Farrelly, who won an Oscar in 2019 for his work on “Green Book.”
The production initially began filming in Thailand before shifting to Jersey City this week. Zac Efron, who stars as the film’s main character John “Chickie” Donohue, shared a story on his Instagram account of himself in front of the Statue of Liberty to tease the production’s arrival.
Besides Efron, Oscar winner Russell Crowe will play a journalist in Vietnam. The film, which is based on a book, will tell the story of a 26-year-old U.S. Marine Corps veteran who proposes an idea many might deem preposterous — sneaking into Vietnam, tracking down their buddies in combat, and giving each of them messages of support from back home along with with some beer.
The film, which will also co-star Bill Murray, has been utilizing the area near Van Vorst Park as a backdrop over the last few days. “The Greatest Beer Run Ever” is set to continue filming throughout Jersey City and while it does not yet have a release date, it is expected to debut on Apple TV+ sometime next year.
“The Greatest Beer Run Ever” is the second major motion picture to film in Jersey City during the fall, as Billy Eichner’s groundbreaking “Bros” shot scenes in a Downtown neighborhood near White Eagle Hall last month.
The city’s Hollywood profile appears to have been decidedly raised since Joaquin Phoenix’s Oscar-winning turn in “The Joker” utilized Journal Square as scenery back in 2018 and Queen Latifah’s TV drama The Equalizer also spent time filming in Jersey City.
