From the peculiar mind of Peter Farrelly, one-half of the Farrelly brothers duo that brought you such comedic gems as DUMB & DUMBER, THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY, and KINGPIN, comes GREEN BOOK, a touching drama centered around an unlikely pair who embark on a road trip that will change their lives forever. The upcoming film stars Academy Award nominee Viggo Mortensen (EASTERN PROMISES, THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy) and Academy Award winner Mahershala Ali (MOONLIGHT, HIDDEN FIGURES), as two men whose true-life friendship became an inspiration to those not beholden to matters of race or class.
When Tony Lip (Mortensen), a bouncer from an Italian-American neighborhood in the Bronx, is hired to drive Dr. Don Shirley (Ali), a world-class Black pianist, on a concert tour from Manhattan to the Deep South, they must rely on "The Green Book" to guide them to the few establishments that were then safe for African-Americans. Confronted with racism, danger-as well as unexpected humanity and humor-they are forced to set aside differences to survive and thrive on the journey of a lifetime.
Brian Currie and Nick Vallelonga join Farrelly in writing what looks to be a grand departure from Peter's comedic fare, although the film does appear to pepper a few jokes among its more dramatic elements. Be that as it may, this journey through the Deep South in 1962 certainly has the potential to deliver some truly heartfelt moments, in addition to providing both Mortensen and Ali with a platform to stretch their dramatic muscles.
The drama is executive produced by Participant's Jeff Skoll (THE HELP) and Jonathan King (LINCOLN), along with Octavia Spencer (THE SHAPE OF WATER) and Kwame L. Parker (KILL BILL series), as well as Cinetic Media's John Sloss (BOYHOOD) and Steven Farneth. Meanwhile, Linda Cardellini (FREAKS AND GEEKS, BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN) will co-star.
GREEN BOOK is scheduled to hit the road on December 6th.