Something that particularly caught my eye in the media this week, was the controversy surrounding the casting of Zac Efron in the new biopic ‘Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile’. The teaser trailer for the film was released last week on to YouTube after its premiere at the Sundance Festival and sparked conversation immediately.
Image from Bustle
With the recent edition of The Ted Bundy Tapes to Netflix, the famous serial killer has been a big topic of conversation in the media and online in recent weeks. When the trailer was released, many people were quick to criticise the directors casting of Zac Efron, claiming that using the actor is presenting Bundy as a ‘charming and attractive individual’. With a montage of Efron winking and shirtless in scenes throughout the trailer, a number of viewers have expressed their concerns about this, claiming that they are glorifying Bundy, who admitted to killing over 30 women. Efron is known for portraying various roles including heartthrob Troy Bolton, in Disney’s High School Musical and has left many viewers concerned that young fans would idealise the character. However, Director Joe Bellinger has hit back at these claims, saying that romanticising his character is far from what is being done here, but instead it reveals the way in which women fell victim to him through his deceiving charm and good looks.
The story tells the tale of the horrific serial killer Ted Bundy, from the perspective of his long-term girlfriend Elizabeth Kloepfer (Lily Collins), who, throughout his accusations, denied his involvement, until she ultimately turned him into the police.
With its recent pick-up from Netflix after the Sundance Film festival, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile is due to be released in autumn and is set to be one of the most talked about films this year. In the meantime, if you are interested in the story, I would highly recommend watching the Ted Bundy Tapes on Netflix.