The Iron Claw star Zac Efron has signed on to lead HBO and A24‘s newest TV show. This marks Efron’s first major TV project as the lead after recently guest-starring in The Studio Season 1 as himself. The project will be based on the 1987 cult classic horror movie Angel Heart, which starred Robert De Niro.
What do we know about Zac Efron’s HBO TV show?
According to Deadline, the series adaptation of Angel Heart will be written by Black Rabbit creator Zach Baylin, with Shogun’s Jonathan van Tulleken expected to direct multiple episodes. The show is described as “a new take” on the 1987 movie, which was also based on William Hjortsberg’s 1978 novel Fallen Angel. Baylin, Efron, and Van Tulleken are also executive-producing alongside Kate Susman for Youngblood Pictures, Marc Toberoff, Max Hjortsberg, Lorca Hjortsberg, Alice P. Neuhauser, Joe Hipps for Cut To, Stuart Manashil, Kevin Turen, and Harrison Kreiss.
“The series will follow a down-and-out NYC paparazzi, who makes his living finding and photographing people who don’t want to be found, who is hired by a mysterious man to find a missing woman. But the deeper he digs to find her, the more it looks like a group of powerful elites, and maybe something supernatural, is covering up the disappearance,” reads the initial synopsis.
The original neo-noir horror movie was written and directed by Alan Parker. Besides De Niro, the cast also included Mickey Rourke, Lisa Bonet, and Charlotte Rampling. Despite receiving mixed reviews when it debuted, the film eventually became an underrated cult classic for many moviegoers. It currently holds an 82% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.