Zac Efron To Star In JFK Assassination Flick ‘Parkland’

Zac Efron has signed on to star in the forthcoming John F. Kennedy assassination drama Parkland, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The website reports the High School Musical graduate will appear alongside Marcia Gay Harden, Paul Giamatti, Billy Bob Thornton, and Jacki Weaver in the movie. The film is scheduled for release towards the end of 2013.

The folks at Exclusive Media are understandably excited to have Zac Efron counted among the cast of Parkland. Co-chairman Guy East and Nigel Sinclair said this in a recent statement:

“Zac Efron continues to impress us with his recent shift into more dramatic roles which showcase his exceptional acting skills and Marcia Gay Harden is an unparalleled actress who gives tour de force performances in every film she appears. We look forward to seeing their combined talent in Peter Landesman’s powerful and mesmerizing story alongside the excellent cast already attached to this film.”

Vulture reports that Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman’s Playtone will produce Parkland, which is based on Vincent Bugliosi’s book Reclaiming History: The Assassination Of President John F. Kennedy. The movie will follow the events which transpired at the hospital following the shooting.

Sprearheading the project is novelist Peter Landesman, who will make his directorial debut with the upcoming feature. In addition to directing the film, Landesman is also working on the adapted screenplay.

Bugliosi’s book, which reportedly required 20 years worth of intense research, sets out to prove that Lee Harvey Oswald was the man responsible for the assassination of John F. Kennedy.

The book’s description adds:

“In addition to providing a powerful and unprecedented narrative of events and a biography of the assassin, it confronts and destroys every one of the conspiracy theories that have grown up since the assassination, exposing their selective use of evidence, flawed logic, and outright deceptions.”

If you’re looking for a physical copy of Reclaiming History, then you’d better bring your wallet; a new copy of the book currently sells for around $75. The Kindle edition, however, is only $17.95

Producers hope to have Parkland wrapped up and in theaters by November of 2013. Are you a fan of Zac Efron? Are you looking forward to the upcoming JFK assassination drama?