The secret is out: Zac Efron can work a wide leg pant almost as well as a camera. The actor released the first image of himself in costume as serial killer Ted Bundy to his Instagram Thursday, bearing the only slightly ominous caption: “Meet Ted.” The star of “Baywatch” and “The Greatest Showman” will take a dark turn from recent comedic fare in the Bundy biopic, titled “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile.” Shooting began Thursday for the new movie, which is directed by Joe Berlinger, an Emmy-winning director who is best known for true crime documentaries.
In the black and white photo, Efron is posing for a mug shot, donning a white tee shirt and flared jeans in the style of the period. Awash in a bright light, his gaze is downturned.
The script was written by Michael Werwie, and won an Academy Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting. The movie tells the story of Bundy and his turbulent relationship with his long-time girlfriend, Liz Kloepfer, and is told from her point of view. Bundy was executed in 1989 after confessing to the murder of dozens of women, including a 12-year-old.
Check out the photos of Efron and Collins below.
Lily Collins (“Mirror Mirror,” “Okja”) plays Kloepfer, who continued her romance with Bundy long after evidence pointed to his heinous crimes. Collins also released a photo of herself on an orange couch in a white peasant shirt. See below.