Zac Efron to star in survival thriller ‘Gold’

Nov. 5 (UPI) — Zac Efron has joined the cast of the new survival thriller Gold.

The 33-year-old actor will star with actor Anthony Hayes, who is also directing the film. Hayes co-wrote the screenplay with Polly Smyth.

Gold follows two strangers (Efron, Hayes) who stumble across the biggest gold nugget ever found while traveling through a desert. The pair agree to have one man leave to secure equipment for excavating the gold, while the other remains and endures harsh desert elements, ravenous wild dogs and mysterious intruders, while fighting the sinking suspicion that he has been abandoned.

“This is an exciting, gripping and timely tale about greed, humanity, who we are, what we’ve done to the world and where we are heading if we aren’t careful,” Hayes said.

“To have Zac Efron as my main man on this film is an absolute gift and to see what he is creating already is like nothing we’ve seen from him before,” he added. “I can’t wait to deliver this bold, visceral and cinematic film to audiences all around the world.”

Deeper Water Films’ John Schwarz and Michael Schwarz will produce the movie with Hayes’ Rogue Star Pictures. Production will begin in Australia this month.

“Gold is a classic morality tale told in an excitingly modern fashion, and the creative symmetry between Anthony and Zac has everyone involved incredibly excited to bring this film to global audiences,” Michael Schwarz said.

Altitude Film Sales will introduce Gold to buyers at the AFM virtual market this month. Gold will be released in Australian theaters through Madman Entertainment before streaming on the Australian service Stan.

Hayes is known for the films The Boys, Animal Kingdom and War Machine. Efron came to fame in Disney Channel’s High School Musical movies and most recently starred in the Netflix docuseries Down to Earth with Zac Efron.