Since his breakout role as Troy Bolton in Disney's High School Musical, Zac Efron has played smooth and charismatic roles in musicals such as The Greatest Showman and in raunchy comedies like Baywatch. His next role has the actor exploring the dark story of serial killer Ted Bundy in Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile who famous charmed women to their deaths, and Efron is sharing a closer look at himself in the role. Take a look:
Yeah, I know it just looks like Zac Efron with a different haircut, but Ted Bundy was known for his good looks, even being labeled as "the handsome devil." Efron's transformation as the serial killer will be more clear to audiences once some footage is released. Paired with the actor's post on Twitter is the comment "Ready for Sundance!" Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile will premiere at the Sundance Film Festival between Jan. 23 and Feb. 2, 2019 in Park City, Utah.
Considering Zac Efron is sticking with his traditional striking appearance, it looks like the film will play with Ted Bundy's famously charismatic reputation that he used to his advantage to lure women into his kidnappings, rapes and murders for years before finally being caught. Efron has previously talked about how Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile explores how the world was charmed by Bundy. A role like this one could easily mess with an actor's head if they convince themselves to be them, but the actor said he didn't go method or take home Ted Bundy for this truly evil role.
Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile will examine Ted Bundy's crimes through the lens of his longtime girlfriend Elizabeth Kloepfer, played by Lily Collins. Kloepfer didn't know or didn't want to believe she was dating a serial killer until years into the relationship when she started suspecting him and alerted the authorities about it. Her calls were one of many that led to Bundy's arrest in 1975. He wasn't put away until 1979 and just one day before his execution in 1989, he confessed to 30 homicides, though more are suspected to be his doing.
The project was directed by documentary filmmaker Joe Berlinger and has a star-studded cast including The Big Bang Theory's Jim Parsons as lead prosecutor in the 1979 Miami trial that sent him to prison. Haley Joel Osment, Kaya Scodelario and John Malkowich are also in Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile in supporting roles.
The upcoming drama doesn't have a theatrical release date, but following its premiere at Sundance in a couple months, we'll likely learn more about the project's critical reception and future on the big screen. The image is an exciting teaser image for Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, and we can't wait to see how Zac Efron does in a more dramatic role.
