We’re still waiting on “Famous,” Zac Efron‘s latest effort from A24, after the 2023 wrestling pic “The Iron Claw,” and it remains TBD when that one will reach audiences. But now another, and altogether different, Efron-A24 vehicle has just been announced, and it also involves HBO. Intrigued yet?
READ MORE: ‘Famous’: Zac Efron To Play Dual Roles In Upcoming Jody Hill Thriller
Deadline reports that Efron will star in a new series adaptation of “Angel Heart,” the 1987 cult classic film that stars Mickey Rourke, Lisa Bonet, and Robert De Niro. Based on William Hjortsberg‘s 1978 novel “Falling Angel” and its sequel “Angel’s Inferno,” the series will follow Efron as an NYC paparazzi hired by a wealthy, mysterious man to track down a missing woman, leading the photographer down a sinister path involving powerful elites and possibly something supernatural. Those familiar with the 1987 pic know that this series is easily the darkest work Efron will do since his turn as serial killer Ted Bundy in “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil And Vile” in 2019. It’s unclear, however, who else will co-star in “Angel Heart” alongside him.
But this version of “Angel Heart” also has two of the buzzier names working in TV from the past couple of years. First, “Black Rabbit” creator Zach Baylin will adapt the novels for the small screen, while “Shogun” director Jonathan van Tulleken is also on board to direct several episodes. That pairing may arguably be more interesting than Efron starring in this vehicle. Both will also executive produce the series, along with Kate Susman, Marc Toberoff, Max Hjostberg, Lorca Hjorstberg, Alice P. Neuhauser, Joe Hipps, Stuart Manashil, Kevin Turen, and Harrison Kreis.
The biggest question here may be how extreme A24 and HBO want this version of “Angel Heart” to be. Fans of Alan Parker‘s film with Rourke, Bonet, and De Niro may remember that it was initially given an X rating for a graphic sex scene before it was recut for an R rating. The serial TV format may allow Baylin and van Tulleken to lean entirely into the violence, sexuality, and general sordidness of this story. There would undoubtedly be an audience for a show like that in the contemporary TV zeitgeist, but let’s wait and see how controversial A24/HBO want to be.
Efron adds “Angel Heart” to a list of upcoming projects that include the aforementioned “Famous” and the Amazon MGM comedy “Judgement Day” with Will Ferrell.” As for Baylin, “Angel Heart” will be his first TV show since “Black Rabbit,” the Netflix limited series with Jude Law and Jason Bateman that looks poised for a solid run at this year’s Emmys. Other upcoming projects for the writer include Ed Berger‘s Lance Armstrong biopic starring Austin Butler at Apple. Van Tulleken’s other recent TV credits beyond “Shogun” include “Lucky” and the upcoming Apple TV series “Cape Fear.”
So when should HBO subscribers expect “Angel Heart”? It’s only in development now, so let’s wait and see what happens.
