After the resounding success of The Iron Claw, Zac Efron is once again partnering up with A24 for an upcoming film. Titled Famous, it sees Efron playing the dual lead roles. And no he’s not a twin. Apparently, he’s set to play a fan who looks remarkably like a Hollywood star and how that changed his life.
According to Deadline, Famous sees Efron playing Lance Dunkquist, “an overzealous fan” and the Hollywood heartthrob he looks like, James Jansen. And with his face being the only thing going for him, Dunkquist is willing to do anything to make it big, moving to Los Angeles to follow said dream.
It’s based on the New York Times-bestselling book by Blake Crouch of the same name. In the book Dunkquist is dubbed a “loser” who consistently gets confused with the Oscar winning movie star for about 10 years. And Dunkquist decided to run with it, studying every little idiosyncrasy of Jansen before moving to LA. According to the book synopsis, Famous is “part comedy, part human tragedy, and part suspense.”
As someone who has been part of fan culture for most of my life, Famous could be either an eye-opening portrayal of the divide between fan/celebrity and the parasocial relationship between them…or it can be a complete misinterpretation of what being a fan is all about. Because for some, it’s obsession. But for many, it’s community and believing in something bigger than ourselves.
With A24 and Zac Efron on board, we’ll just have to wait and see.
