Zac Efron to star in ME AND ORSON WELLES!

Ok this is a weird but absolutely fascinating project. The Hollywood Reporter say that Zac Efron will lead Richard Linklater's next movie ME AND ORSON WELLES based on a coming-of-age novel of the same name by Robert Kaplow. The script has been adapted by Linklater's friends Holly Gent Palmo (production coordinator on DAZED AND CONFUSED) and Vincet Palmo (first unit director on many of Linklater's films).

The really interestingly sounding movie see's Efron as a high school student who gets noticed by Mercury Theatre founder Orson Welles who gives him a bit part in his production of Julius Caesar... the show that made Welles a star. The book as will the fim, chronicles the kid's week learning about life and love. The daunting task of playing the mamooth Welles on screen has been given to film newcomer Chrisitan McKay but he's not a newcomer to Welles. He has played the guy on his own Broadway theatre production ROSEBUD which was actually written for him because of his likeness to the legendary figure.

Ben Chaplin from THE WATER HORSE has been cast as stage actor George Coulouris, who was the man who adopted Charles Foster Kane in Welles' terrific movie. Now usually I would be dead set against any movie about Welles that stars that high school brat (no offense Mr. Efron) but with Richard Linklater behind the helm, this suddenely becomes a project to care about. Although he has gone off the rails with his last few movies, this is the guy that makes film-making and storytelling look so easy and with BEFORE SUNSET/SUNRISE he created two movies of immense power and style. I do love Linklater's voice in the industry and his true passion for film history and his shear diversity in projects (remember his 12 year epic that's going to hit in 2013!). Shooting begins middle of next month in locations in New York, London and the Isle of Man with the Gaiety Theatre booked out. I've always said an Orson Welles biopic could be an amazing movie and although this isn't quite that, this still sounds absolutely brilliant.