With turns in “Gold” and “Firestarter” this year, Zac Efron continues to diversify his acting output and distance himself from his former teen heartthrob image. And Efron shows no signs of slowing down his drive to be taken seriously as an actor. He’s currently shooting “The Greatest Beer Run Ever” with “Green Book” director Peter Farrelly, but there’s more on the way, too.
And now, add another interesting project to Efron’s list of future roles. Deadline reports that Efron will star in “Martha Marcy May Marlene” director Sean Durkin’s latest movie “The Iron Claw.” A24 produces the film, a look at the rise and fall of the famous Von Erich wrestling family dynasty from their heyday in the 1960s to the present day. The film is Durkin’s follow-up to 2020’s class drama “The Nest,” which stars Jude Law and Carrie Coon.
The announcement about “The Iron Claw” comes days after Efron signed onto a new comedy film for Netflix that reunites him with his “The Paperboy” co-star Nicole Kidman, with Joey King also on board. Deadline reports that the untitled project is about “a surprising romance which kicks off comic consequences for a young woman, her mother and her movie star boss as they face the complications of love, sex, and identity.” “Behind The Candleabra” screenwriter Richard LaGravenese will direct. Efron also has a second season of his hit show “Down To Earth” upcoming on Netflix, too.
So, Efron continues to cast a wide net in his acting choices. It’s hard not to be impressed with just how different each of his roles has been since he played serial killer Ted Bundy in 2019’s “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, And Vile.” While Efron may not be the most dynamic actor out there (and, let’s face it, “Firestarter” was pretty terrible), appreciate that he wants to work on a wide array of material. “The Iron Claw” may be his most intriguing project yet.