Zac Efron earned a considerable amount of attention in 2023 due to his masterful work in A24’s acclaimed wrestling drama The Iron Claw. The film saw Efron take on the role of Kevin Von Erich, and some critics (along with myself) believe it to be the star’s finest work as an actor. Some may have been wondering whether Efron might team up with the aforementioned studio for another movie. Well, as luck would have it, the A Family Affair star has indeed landed another movie that will fall under that esteemed production banner. And, quite frankly, this new flick sounds wild.
The upcoming A24 film that the A-lister is set to star in is Famous, which is based on Blake Crouch’s best-selling 2010 novel of the same name. Not only does Deadline report that the studio has snatched up the domestic distribution rights to the movie, but also that Eastbound and Down and The Righteous Gemstones’ Jody Hill is directing. Additionally, Mr. Robot alum Sam Esmail is among the producers on the thriller flick. As exciting as Hill and Esmail’s involvement is though, there’s an element of this movie that excites me even more. Zac Efron is going to play a dual role!
In Famous, the Neighbors star will play the roles of Lance Dunkquist and James Jansen. The film tells the story of Dunkquist – an overly enthusiastic fan, who just happens to share a striking resemblance to Jansen, a famous Hollywood actor. It’s Lance’s goal to travel to Tinseltown in the hopes of launching a career and ultimately making a name for himself. And, per the description provided by the trade, it sounds like Lance plans to make his dreams come true by whatever means necessary. Now, if that slight tease doesn’t sound ominous, then I don’t know what does.
Needless to say, I am so down to see Zac Efron take on two roles and possibly chew some serious scenery. The first film that came to mind when I saw this news was the Hollywood-centric comedy, Bowfinger, which saw Eddie Murphy play dual roles. The satirical, Steve Martin-penned romp is easily one of Murphy’s best movies and is a perfect example of an actor masterfully playing two characters. I’d suspect that Efron and Jody Hill have a more intense story in mind for their flick, which will hopefully be very entertaining. This feels like a perfect A24-produced follow-up for Efron, and I won’t be surprised if he really flexes his acting muscles for it.
The Firestarter actor showed off his actual muscles in The Iron Claw, as he got truly ripped to play Kevin Von Erich. Sean Durkin’s gripping sports biopic focused on the rise of the iconic Von Erich wrestling dynasty, which was marred by immense tragedy. While it featured a talented ensemble consisting of Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson, Lily James and more, Zac Efron was singled out for his work by a number of pundits. Among the most notable real-life wrestlers to praise him was John Cena, his Ricky Stanicky co-star. The real Kevin also lauded Efron for his work, calling the actor “a real star.”
One could certainly make the argument that the High School Musical icon deserved some more love for his Iron Claw performance during awards season. I’m honestly still disappointed that he didn’t score any major awards nominations or wins. While I’m not one to remain fixated on trophies and it’s far too early to make any true assumptions, I do wonder whether Famous could earn its leading man some accolades. That might be a pipe dream, but it’s worth thinking about.
Awards or not though, I’m just hyped that Zac Efron is preparing to take on what could be yet another interesting project for him. I have faith that he, Jody Hill and co. will deliver a wild book adaptation that lives up to its source material.
For now, check out Zac Efron’s new 2024 movie release, A Family Affair, by streaming it with a Netflix subscription. You can also grab a Max subscription if you’d like to check out The Iron Claw.
