Greg Vs The Keg

Starring:

Jake Johnson as Greg Dingle

Alison Brie as Ellie Ferf

Zachary Levi as Riley Sage

JK Simmons as Mr. Klaus

Olivia Wilde as Theresa Boner

Robert Duvall as Papa Yango

and

George Wendt as Himself/Norm from Cheers

Estimated Budget: $35,000,000

Estimated Box Office: $108,00,000 (Domestic),$ 55,000,000 (International)

Plot Synopsis:

Greg Dingle (Jake Johnson) is a loser.

Unhappy, unmotivated, out of shape and down-on-his-luck, the only thing Greg has going for him is a girlfriend who’s had just about enough of his crap and a job he’s barely hanging on to. Greg works as a producer for “Beer In Your Backyard”, a TV show that highlights local craft beers in the Chicago area. Ratings are terrible and ad money isn’t coming in – Greg’s boss, Mr. Klaus (J.K. Simmons) thinks the show is too old fashioned for today’s youth and he constantly threatens to fire Greg.

One morning, Greg wakes up to a baseball shattering his bedroom window and he can tell it’s going to be a terrible day. And a terrible day, it is.

• First, Greg meets his girlfriend Theresa (Olivia Wilde) for breakfast. Theresa tells a hungover Greg that she’s finally had enough and she’s breaking up with him. Worse, she’s been seeing someone else – and it just so happens that the guy is coming to pick her up. Not long after, Riley Sage (Zachary Levi) shows up to introduce himself as Theresa’s new boyfriend. He seems like a real hotshot d-bag.

• Next, while driving to work Greg’s phone starts ringing. In the MILISECOND he picks it up to look at it, he immediately gets pulled over for texting while driving.

• Looking for some comfort at lunch, Greg goes to his favorite bar, “The Brown Tap”, where his long-time friend (and owner of The Brown Tap) Old Papa Yango (Robert Duvall) tells him he’s going to have to close the bar for good due to lack of customers.

• On his way back from lunch, Greg gets pooped on by a bird.

• Back from lunch, Greg is called into his boss’ office where Mr. Klaus tells him today is the day – they’re officially canceling “Beer In Your Backyard”. Even worse, to appeal to the younger generation, they’re replacing Greg’s show with a new program called “The Bro-Zone”. When Greg asks what “The Bro-Zone” is, Mr. Klaus tells him to, “Think of lots of bros, babes in bikinis, and midgets being dared to do stuff”… As he’s leaving the awful meeting, Greg runs into the new producer for “The Bro-Zone”. It’s Riley Sage.

That night, Greg goes to The Brown Tap to drink his sorrows away. As he rambles on in misery (over 10 beers) to the beautiful but attainable bartender Ellie (Alison Brie), he has one of those moments of drunken brilliance that can change everything:

Greg is tired of being kicked in the face by life and going down without a fight. Greg knows it’s too late to get his show back. But that doesn’t mean it’s too late for Greg. So he comes up with an idea:

Greg’s going to create his own show where he tries to drink an entire keg of beer by himself in 24 hours. And he’ll put it on YouTube.

—

The next day, Greg runs into Riley Sage. As they talk, Riley learns of Greg’s new show. He laughs at it and makes fun of him, then lays down a bet:

If Greg’s 24 Hour Keg Drinkathon YouTube show gets more views than the first episode of “The Bro-Zone”, Riley will eat a plate of dog crap and wash it down with a glass of Axe Body Spray. If Greg loses, he has to move out of town.

With his newfound passion for life, Greg isn’t backing down. The bet is on.

—

The morning of the 24 Hour Keg Drinkathon, Ellie from The Brown Tap shows up at Greg’s place and says she was moved by his dedication to his idea. She wants to help him produce the show behind the scenes, while Greg stars on-screen drinking a keg’s worth of beers. Soon, the two are working together – and almost as soon, sparks are flying between them.

Finally the time is at hand: With no planned schedule, just a keg full of cold brown deliciousness, Greg sits on the couch in his apartment and prepares to drink a butt-load of beer on YouTube. He’s got a long day ahead, and almost impossible odds – but Greg realizes, as Ellie counts down 5 seconds until they go live on air, sometimes a man has to stare impossible odds in the face and burp a beer-filled burp right in their direction.

The red light on the camera goes on. And the 24 Hour Keg Drinkathon begins.

—

“Greg Vs. The Keg” is a hilarious underdog story about finding what you love and seeing it through. A boozy tale of picking yourself up when life kicks you down, “Greg Vs. The Keg” reminds us that when we put ourselves to the test, we can achieve greatness. The laughs and feel-good moments will be pouring out like somebody forgot to shut off the tap; “Greg Vs. The Keg” is one movie that will have you asking for a refill!

Exclusive Scene From The Script: