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UPDATES EXCLUSIVE: Zac Efron Picks Two Projects
UPDATE: Warner Bros has been as stingy as any major on handing out overall production deals to actors in recent years. But I’ve learned the studio has just given a first look 2-year deal to Zac Efron. And Warner Bros plans to buy pitches, spec scripts, and books for Efron and his still unformed company to develop as star vehicles. His manager, Alchemy Entertainment’s Jason Barrett, will be an exec producer on the projects. But that’s not all at Warner Bros: I’m told the studio also is in the process of making an overall deal with its Sherlock Holmes star Robert Downey Jr who’s about to form a production company with his wife, seasoned development exec and now producer Susan Downey. And Warner Bros also will make an overall deal with duo Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, who are moving over the first-look pact they had together at Media Rights Capital (MRC). All this talent joins Steve Carell, Johnny Depp, and Leonardo DiCaprio who already have overall deals at Warner Bros. Gee, pretty soon Jeff Robinov’s lot will resemble the star-studded heyday of Terry Semel/Bob Daly when superstars like Mel Gibson, Kevin Costner, and Clint Eastwood ruled the roost. (Oh, wait, Clint still does!)
At 22, Efron is by far the youngest actor with an overall Warner Bros film deal. I’m told he hasn’t named his company and is still working out details like whether he’ll take office space on the lot. My insiders said the studio has been high on him for several years, especially his hustle on the New Line film 17 Again which he promoted heavily in six overseas territories. (That pic grossed $136 million worldwide). Warner Bros is determined to find him a franchise. Which begs the question whther he’ll be the next DC Entertainment superhero, or Bourne-like action thriller leading man, or buddy comedy co-star, or all, or none. True, Efron has made a determined effort to steer away from his High School Musical teen heartthrob image, dropping out of a Footloose remake to attach to Universal’s serious dramatic vehicle The Death And Life of Charlie St. Cloud releasing this fall. But one of Zac’s upcoming projects I’ve already announced will be the first developed under his new Warner Bros — the Back To The Future-like film, as yet untitled, that melds two projects: a pitch from writers Tim Calpin and Kevin Jakubowski, and the other called Algorithm that the studio was already developing.
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Oh how I long for the days when studios ran the roost and not these wet behind the ears actors who water down the producer credit with this type of bullshit deal.
Man it really erks me that these wet-behind-the-ears kids secure these kind of deals and continue to water down the producer credit.
These “deals” are nothing like the vanity deals of ages past. They are simply ways of providing a monetary advance for the talent against future projects and getting a nice little press release all at the same time for the shady studio. There’s no such thing as a real first look or overhead deal these days — at least not like the ones in the past.
I think this is a great move for Zac. He’s a great actor, and will continue to be a major influence in the entertainment industry. Best of Luck Zac.
Guess he won’t be playing Spiderman…
Good for Zac. This guy is going to make it big in the business. He has a good head on his shoulders.
What a huge waste of money. Stars don’t put butts in seats. And they don’t sell DVDs (which are not selling anyway).
Affleck and Damon’s careers are littered with bombs, despite both being decent actors. They’re not popular with about half the country, men generally don’t like them or think they’re a joke (exception: Damon in a movie that has “Bourne” in the title). Women don’t seem to flock to their movies either. Not even Downey Jr, outside of a big character, is going to put people in seats (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang anyone?)
Efron’s very popularity with tween/teen girls makes him this generation’s Scott Baio, or Leif Ericson, or Ralph Macchio. Karate Kid 7? I don’t think so. Being an action hero requires young men to actually LIKE you, and having tween girls scream while the inevitable jokes make their rounds isn’t it. How big an action movie star was Richard Gere again?
Action movie heroes, particularly in the modern incarnation, tend to be guys in their thirties or older, who offer a “I’d like to be that when I’m grown up” model to boys and younger men: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis in Die Hard, Mel Gibson (pre-crazy, or at least hiding it), Clint Eastwood, Charles Bronson (Death Wish). None of these guys had an image out of “High School the Musical.” None of them looked and sounded like Ashton Kutcher’s less masculine younger brother.
Warners would be smarter to have an open-spec-script competition, to find new, outside Hollywood writers that can come up with characters and storylines that a broad audience will love, and generate outside merchandising, like “Up” instead of failed star-vehicles that scream “Battlefield Earth 2.”
Whiskey…even seen a RDJ movie??? No not gonna believe you if you say you have…Officially you are a asshat idiot.
Lots of buzz that he could be up to play Spider-Man but does this deal mean that he might get offered the Superman role? what height is he anyway?
mehhhh. zac really seems last year. it’s a taylor lautner universe now and zac isn’t connecting with the public. curious about robinov’s motivation… is it develop a young star and lock them into a cut-rate deal?
I think I’d rather die than live in a Taylor Lautner universe for any period of time. Please, dear God, make it stop.
Thank you.
at first i completely wrote him off as a teen star with his 15 minutes….but i really think zac has something and potentially could follow the leo career path….im still waiting to see him in orson welles
Curious if anybody can tell me which other stars have had this kind first look deal set up at a major at such a young age?
Good for Zac. While most of young Hollywood is in and out of rehab, it’s good to see that at least one person has their head on right (and actually is a good actor at that).
*sound of Iger hitting his head against the wall*
You have no idea as to the heights to where Mr. Efron is headed. No actor is more hard-working or intelligent. No actor is more willing to learn the ropes and to improve upon them. In Mr. Efron you are seeing the first natel steps of one the greatest leaders Hollywood has ever known, and he will achieve it with decency, humility, and true natural genius. I’ve been watching his career ever since television blew him up during a bank robbery and I have always been impressed. His wisdom belies his youth.
no mention of me and orson welles which TANKED???
Me and Orson Welles was a niche art house film with minor do-it-yourself distribution. With that setup, it was always clear that this movie wouldn’t be a moneymaker.
It would be too easy (and unfair) to place all the blame on Efron for a limited box office when many indies are struggling even with much more established casts and bigger P&A budgets.
Me And Orson Welles had a distributor that no one’s even heard of. As far as I know, the movie didn’t get a wide release. I live in what you would call a “big city”, and there were only 2-3 theaters within a 30 mile radius that were showing the movie, most of which were really small, indie theaters that only people interested in Indie movies would go to. The movie didn’t get much publicity, probably because of financial and budget reasons. Besides Efron, the only other real “star” in the film was Claire Danes, who we haven’t seen much of these past years. The guy playing Orson was a complete newbie, but now should be fairly well known considering his remarkable performance . If this movie were to have had ONE big Hollywood A-lister, I’ll bet it would have had made much more at the box office. Not Efron’s fault this movie was horribly distributed.
With the success of Sherlock Holmes & Iron Man (the latter not at WB), I’m not surprised they want to lock down Downey. That guy is B.O. gold – as long as he stays away from movies like The Soloist.
Zac Efron is such a little D bag. What has he done? High School musical is a brand, not a Zac Efron vehicle.
You sound vacuous and jealous.
As the article says how hard he pushed 17 Again, WB was happy with the results. Even further back they had to have been pleased with his endless work selling Hairspray worldwide too since he drove repeat viewings in the tween/teen demo. Also, he’s not a Dbag, not even close.
The kid seems determined to make smart decisions and so far they are paying off. Laying the foundation for a long career.
People who don’t know Efron (talking to you, ryan) always assume he is a no talent douchebag, but those who do know him or know of his family know he is destined for a long career. He is a dedicated and hard working kid and he stays out of trouble. You haven’t seen him partying till all hours like the rest of young Hollywood. I suppose the Ryan’s of the world would prefer another Lindsay Lohan? Smart move by Warner Bros.
Why do most of the pro-Efron posts so far seem to be from tween-girl manques (‘Becca’, indeed), or people from Efron’s hometown (hi Mom)!
Imagining the diminutive, non-masculine Efron as an “action” star is good for a laugh, if nothing else. The older of the HSM fan base has outgrown him, while the younger half has moved on to the androgynous joys of Justin Bieber and other similar youngsters. And as for ‘Me and Orson Welles’, I saw it, because I wanted to see Christian McKay’s excellent performance. But it was difficult to find people to go with me to the theater – to a man and woman, everyone I asked to go with me wrinkled their nose at the prospect of sitting through a Zac Efron movie. Imagine the reaction of the target demographic of action movies when Warners posits Efron as a heroic character.
Zac pushes himself harder than any other young star out there. He knows he’s not the best, and willingly admits it. But he doesn’t just stop there; he strives to improve and become a better, more sophisticated actor. Unlike other celebs his age, he’s not wasting his time getting into trouble in bars or stirring up drama. He stays focused and makes the most of every second. That’s what got him here today. Those of you who don’t know his history might just think that HSM launched him to fame and carried him this far. No. It’s just not that easy. Sure, HSM threw him out there, but he’s the one who had put in his effort and work his way to where he is today, especially since he started with Disney. He deserves this, he really does.
Downey has found his calling card with the Sherlock franchise, he’d be a fool to focus on anything else.
I think he needs to focus his credibility at this point, and re draw his career strategy.
He can take his pick, a man of iron, or a man of character.
Hi every one;
Can somebody more expert than i am define me what is prescisely an “overall film deal”?
Thx
heey , zac efron is an amazing actor i dont care what anyone else thinks he s a great role modle also ! when is the movie goign to be released? : )
In my opinion it was apparent early on that Efron had the makings for a superstar.. He has that glimmer in his eye I have seen before..
Disco Starr