Zac Efron signs on to star in Australian ‘survival thriller’ Gold

He’s rumored to be about to make a permanent move to Australia after residing there since March. 

And Zac Efron is already picking up work down under, with the California-born actor signing on to star in local ‘survival thriller’ Gold, according to Deadline.

The film begins shooting in Australia this month. 

According to the industry news site, Gold ‘will follow two strangers traveling through a desert who stumble across the biggest gold nugget ever found.’ 

‘They hatch a plan to protect and excavate their bounty with one man leaving to secure the necessary equipment. The other man remains and must endure harsh desert elements, ravenous wild dogs and mysterious intruders, whilst battling the sinking suspicion that he has been abandoned to his own fate.’

The film is set to be directed by Australian actor-director Anthony Hayes, and will be introduced to buyers at the upcoming American Film Market. 

Altitude Film Sales and CAA Media Finance will co-represent domestic sales on the film. 

On top of co-starring in and directing the movie, Hayes also co-wrote the script alongside Polly Smyth, and he’ll produce for Rogue Star Pictures along with John Schwarz and Michael Schwarz through their Deeper Water Films banner. 

 Madman Entertainment will release Gold in Australia before it lands on an Australian streaming service Stan, which helped arrange the financing. 

For Efron, the new role comes after he recently joined the cast of Stephen King story Firestarter, and is also starring in a Disney+ remake of Three Men and a Baby. 

Efron’s last role was in a TV miniseries documentary called Down to Earth With Zac Efron that debuted over the summer on Netflix. 

Meanwhile, rumors are swirling that the Hollywood star is planning to permanently relocate to Australia after falling for local waitress Vanessa Valladares.  

Zac has been quietly living in the beachside town of Byron Bay since March, after escaping the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S. He is believed to have met Vanessa in July when she was working as a waitress at the Byron Bay General Store café.

In August, Daily Mail Australia revealed that he’d cancelled his scheduled flight to LA.

‘He was only planning to fly home if he had to,’ a source revealed. ‘He didn’t really want to go back to America.’