Zac Efron wanted to make ‘Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile’ "for the victims" of Ted Bundy.
The 31-year-old actor plays the notorious American serial killer – who committed numerous serious sexual assaults and murders on young women in the 1970s – in the new Netflix thriller and, in an interview with the film’s director Joe Berlinger, he has insisted that the film does not glamorise the murderer and instead "makes a point" of showing Bundy’s "deception and betrayal".
Speaking to The Guardian newspaper, Joe said: "By the end of the movie Bundy is alone, he’s had to admit to the one person he cares about the truth. We see him as needy and pathetic, about to be executed."
Zac continues: "Not glamorous or standing for a cause. He’s dead."
Joe then replied: "And really the point of the movie is to portray deception and betrayal."
Zac adds: "And karma … I wanted to make this film for the victims."
Joe, 47, also helmed the streaming service’s four-part documentary series ‘Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes ‘ which was released on Netflix in January – on the 30th anniversary of the murderer’s execution – and explored how Bundy used his good looks, charm and education to evade capture for years.
‘The Greatest Showman’ star Zac said: "Ted Bundy himself said that murderers don’t come crawling out of the dark."
Joe continued: "Yeah, murderers don’t come out of the dark with long teeth and blood dripping off their chins, you know? They’re your brother, your son, your lover, people you’ve worked with, people you’ve admired. What’s so fascinating about Bundy is that he defied all expectations and stereotypes of what a serial killer is."
Zac Efron made Extremely Wicked ‘for the victims’ of Ted Bundy
