Zac Efron is set to star in Jody Hill’s comedy “Famous,” which will be on the block at the European Film Market with “Mr. Robot” creator Sam Esmail attached as producer.
Zac Efron will play Lance Dunkquist, a fame-hungry man who has one thing going for him: he looks exactly like Hollywood superstar James Jansen, who will also be played by Efron. Bent on using that coincidence to his advantage, Lance travels to Los Angeles determined to make it big no matter what it takes.
“Famous” is adapted from the novel of the same name by Blake Crouch, with Chad Hodge handling the screenplay. Esmail and Chad Hamilton will produce through their Esmail Corp banner. Black Bear will present the package at EFM to international buyers with CAA Media Finance and WME Independent representing the U.S. rights.
Efron is coming off of rave reviews for his performance as pro wrestler Kevin Von Erich in the A24 drama “The Iron Claw,” which became an indie box office success with $35 million grossed in North America. Esmail is also coming off of a big success as a producer with the hit Netflix apocalyptic drama “Leave the World Behind” starring Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, Ethan Hawke and Myha’la.
“Famous” will be Hill’s fourth feature film, with his past work including his 2006 black comedy debut “The Foot Fist Way” and the 2018 dramedy “The Legacy of a Whitetail Deer Hunter,” both starring Danny McBride. He has also directed episodes of hit TV series like “Eastbound and Down,” “The Righteous Gemstones” and “Peacemaker.”
Blake Crouch and Chad Hodge have previously worked together on adaptations of Crouch’s “Wayward Pines” novel trilogy, as well as the TV series “Good Behavior.”
Efron is repped by WME and Hill is repped by CAA and LBI Entertainment. Hodge is represented by WME and Anonymous Content. The package was first reported by Deadline.
