Troy Bolton is long gone.
Zac Efron has certainly come a long way from being Hollywood’s blue-eyed poster boy.
The trailer for the new Australian survival movie, Gold, dropped on Tuesday and fans are barely recognising the actor.
In the clip, the 34-year-old can be seen wandering around a vast desert, covered in dirt and looking particularly rough and gritty.
Zac plays the role of Virgil, a man who wanders into the Australian outback with his friend, Keith (Anthony Hayes). Together, they discover a massive gold nugget, and will do whatever it takes to excavate it.
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While Keith goes to get supplies, Vrigil is left behind to guard the gold, but the outback is not a safe place for anyone to be alone.
The film focuses on the character as he attempts to cope with the cruel desert climate, diminishing food and water supplies, and his own loneliness.
It’s an eye-opening examination of greed, obsession, endurance and the devastating impact humans have on the environment (something Zac himself is well-versed in).
Sharing a short video clip to his Instagram, Zac said: “Filming this was brutal — but I love this sh*t. So proud of everyone involved, and thank you to everyone who has watched so far.”
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He also revealed one of the things he loved most about filming was the stunning Australian wilderness.
“I’ve never been anywhere quite like it, to be honest. When we drove out to the location, I was blown away by the scenery, the vibe and the feel of the area.
“It was unbelievably beautiful. It was mesmerising. Very desolate and dry and very harsh conditions.”
The last time we saw Zac on the big screen was when he took on the role of prolific serial killer Ted Bundy in Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. It’s fair to say the actor has been drawn to darker roles as of late.
Gold doesn’t have a UK and Ireland release date just yet, but it will presumably land later this year.
