If you count Zac Efron as one of your OG celebrity crushes, the past month or so has probably been enjoyable for you. Efron starred alongside Hugh Jackman and Zendaya in the holiday hit The Greatest Showman, once again proving that he’s succeeded beyond his baby-faced High School Musical days. Although Efron’s return to musical entertainment pleased my Disney-loving heart, his next big role won’t exactly be a cheery one. Refinery29 reports that he’ll play serial murderer Ted Bundy in the film Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, and Efron just provided a startling sneak peek at his character’s look.
Posting a shot of him in costume on Instagram on Wednesday, Efron wrote, “Meet Ted.” The movie is set to officially begin production this week and will take place from the perspective of Bundy’s girlfriend Elizabeth Kloepfer, played by Lily Collins.
Bundy was known for committing the murders of at least 30 women between 1973 and 1978. He was arrested and imprisoned for murder charges but escaped twice, eventually being executed via the electric chair in 1989. Needless to say, portraying one of the twentieth century’s most infamous killers is a major gamechanger for Efron’s career, and although his Instagram photo is a distant shot, the internet is already comparing it to old photos of Bundy. If you ask me, the looks aren’t an exact match, but I’ll bet Efron will totally surprise us with delivery of the role.
Zac Efron’s not at East High School anymore: Here’s your first look at him as serial killer Ted Bundy. https://t.co/QeVE1ujGRt pic.twitter.com/R0Qp9RL53O
— E! News (@enews) January 17, 2018
In a recent BuzzFeed feature, Efron spoke with Zendaya about the new role, which he hopes will be his most challenging. “I think it’s going to be different and it’s going to be fun,” he said. “I’m super stoked.”
He’s not the only one eager for the different experience. Collins also shared photos from the set, first posting a shot of a sign saying “Ted and Liz” from camera testing. Like Efron, she uploaded a picture of herself in costume as Kloepfer.
Based on these photos alone, it seems that this movie will show totally unique skillsets of both Efron and Collins. It’s too early to tell, but perhaps this role will kick off a more serious chapter in Efron’s work.