Zac Efron Set To Play Serial Killer Ted Bundy In New Film

After hitting off the second quarter of the year with the “Baywatch” reboot, Zac Efron has officially been cast for the role of Ted Bundy in the movie “Extremely Wicked: Shockingly Evil and Vile,” which aims to tell the story of the serial killer’s life. The film will be told in Elizabeth Kloepfer’s perspective, Bundy’s longtime girlfriend who initially fought all allegations against him and eventually helped to bring him down.

Zac Efron’s Latest Drama Role in ‘Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile’

In a report by The Hollywood Reporter, “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile” will be helmed by “Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory” director Joe Berlinger. October is the target date for principal photography to begin; with the film slated for a late 2018 release. Hollywood newcomer Michael Werwie wrote the screenplay.

Serial Killer Ted Bundy has been a hot subject in multiple films, documentaries and books in the past years. One of the most notable outings is Matthew Bright’s biopic “Ted Bundy,” which came out in 2002. It centered on a chronological take on the crimes committed by Bundy. A&E’s 2004 TV movie “The Riverman,” on the other hand, focused on former police detective Robert Keppel who was working with Bundy to help catch the Green River killer. Thomas Harris’ “Silence of the Lambs” was an end-product of the Keppel-Bundy relationship.

Zac Efron’s casting in “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile” is actually a surprising casting choice. We can remember Efron starting as a Disney kid back in 2006’s “High School Musical” and has since been in a number of comedy films. As compared to Bundy’s persona, who was an average, ordinary and pleasant man. Those close to Bundy were extremely shocked at the magnitude of his crimes.

On a lighter note, Bundy was kind of considered to be a handsome man, especially for a deranged serial killer; hence Efron’s casting might not really come off as that surprising.