Zac Efron too Pretty to Play Ted Bundy?

In the 1970s, women across the country were fearing for their lives, afraid they would be the next victim of an unknown killer.

The trailer for Zac Efron’s newest movie Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile was released recently and was met with a series of mixed reactions. The film chronicles the escalation of serial killer Ted Bundy, told through the eyes of his ex girlfriend, Elizabeth (Liz) Kloepfer. The role of Ted Bundy will be played by Zac Efron and the role of Liz Kloepfer will be played by Lily Collins. A lot of people were upset about the casting of Zac Efron as Ted Bundy because they cannot imagine him being so evil as to commit 30, or possibly more, murders. Personally, I know I’m going to have a hard time watching him on screen without half expecting him to break out and start singing “Bet on It.” I would have much rather they find someone had either no previous credits under his belt, or very few, and wasn’t so recognizable for another role. When I look at Zac Efron, the only thing I see is Troy Bolton, and I know we’re supposed to give actors chances to grow and evolve in their craft but I just can’t. Because of the society we live in, it is extremely hard to believe that pretty people can do something so heinous. Zac Efron is the definition of my childhood and seeing him as Ted Bundy will not only not be believable or ruin my childhood, but will also take me out of the world the movie is trying to build.

The release of this movie trailer and the new Netflix documentary Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes have led a whole new generation of people to become aware of america’s first known serial killer. The release of the movie and the docuseries brought about this new conversation and infatuation with Ted Bundy’s looks among young girls. Many people were offended by this new infatuation because many of the victims families are still alive and it could be seen as an insult to their memory. I agree, talking about how cute a serial killer was could be interpreted as disrespectful and I could see how these families could be affected, but that is how Bundy operated. Bundy was able to get close to so many young women because of his charm and good looks. It has been proven that people are more likely to trust someone who is handsome and charismatic. It is a sad reality but this is a trait that many notorious serial killers have had. The families of these victims however, should in no way have to be subjected to hearing about how the person who killed their daughter, sister, cousin or niece was so handsome.

The Ted Bundy docuseries Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes is available on Netflix today and Efron’s movie Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile will be on Netflix later this year.