Zac Efron is set to star in “King of the Jungle,” a movie based on tech mogul John McAfee, a source familiar with the project tells TheWrap.
The film is based on an article in Wired magazine. Efron will play a reporter for a story about McAfee, who developed McAfee antivirus software and then cashed out his fortune and moved to the jungles of Belize.
In “King of the Jungle,” journalist Ali Furman (Efron) goes to Belize on a mission to interview McAfee, but quickly finds himself drawn into dangerous territory.
Directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa (“Crazy, Stupid, Love'') from a script by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski.
Charlie Gogolak is producing the film in association with Condé Nast Entertainment, Ficarra and Requa's Zaftig Films, and Mad River Pictures and Epic Entertainment. STX is currently negotiating the domestic broadcast rights for the film. Previously, Seth Rogen and Michael Keaton were attached to the project as Furman and McAfee, respectively.
Principal photography is scheduled to begin in early 2020, and the filmmakers are looking for an actor to play McAfee.
Efron is repped by CAA, Alchemy Entertainment, and Viewpoint. His latest films include Baywatch, The Most Wicked and Shocking Vice, and The Greatest Showman, and he will next be voicing Fred Jones at Warner Bros. The upcoming Scooby-Doo movie “Scoob”.
Deadline first reported the news.
