Zac Efron will be playing a dim witted Olympian Baywatch later this month but it looks like he's going to delve into much darker material for his next role.
The news out of Cannes is that Efron has signed on to play notorious serial killer Ted Bundy in Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile.
To be directed by Oscar nominated documentary maker Joe Berlinger, the story is told from the perspective of Elizabeth Kloepfer, Bundy's longtime girlfriend who denied accusations against Bundy for years before eventually turning him into police. It wasn't until Bundy was on death row and nearing his execution date that Kloepfer, and the rest of the world, learned of the scale of his heinous crimes. There's no word yet on who will play Kloepfer.
The script was written by Michael Werwie who won the coveted Nicholl Fellowship for the screenplay.
The subject matter is certainly a departure for Efron who has mostly appeared in comedies for the past few years. It will be interesting to see what he does with the role.
Via THR
