Zac Efron has officially signed on to star as Ari Furman inKing of the Jungle. Writing/directing duo Glenn Ficarra and John are on board to direct the script by Golden Globe and Emmy Award winning writing duo Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski. STX Films is in negotiations for the domestic rights, with MadRiver International continuing sales at the AFM next week.
Zac Efron(The Greatest Showman) will play real-life investigator Ari Furman inKing of the Jungle, which is based on a true story published in Condé Nast’s WIRED magazine by Joshua Davis. Longtime writing and directing duo Glenn Ficarra (This Is Us,Crazy, Stupid, Love,Bad Santa,I Love You Phillip Morris) and John Requa (This Is Us,Crazy, Stupid, Love,Bad Santa,I Love You Phillip Morris) are on board to direct the script by Golden Globe and Emmy Award winning writing duo Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski (American Crime Story,Dolemite Is My Name). Charlie Gogolak will produce. Casting for the role of John McAfee is currently underway with start of principal photography slated for early 2020.
The film is from Condé Nast Entertainment, Ficarra and Requa’s Zaftig Films, MadRiver Pictures and Epic Entertainment. STX Films is in negotiations for the domestic rights, with MadRiver International continuing sales at the AFM next week.
Based on theWIRED magazineeBook “John McAfee’s Last Stand,” the film tells the wild true story of rogue tech magnateJohn McAfee, creator of the McAfee Antivirus software, who cashed-in his fortune, left civilization and moved to the jungle in Belize. There, he set up a Colonel Kurtz-like compound of guns, sex and madness. In the film, WIRED magazine investigator Ari Furman (Efron) accepts what he thinks is a run-of-the-mill assignment to interview McAfee, but once he arrives in Belize, he finds himself pulled into McAfee’s escalating paranoia, slippery reality and murder.
Efron recently starred in the Fox box office hitThe Greatest Showmanopposite Hugh Jackman and earned rave reviews for his portrayal ofTed Bundy in Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vilefor Netflix. Efron will voice Fred Jones inScoob, Warner Bros. feature-length animated film based on the popularScooby-Doocartoon. Efron is represented by CAA, Alchemy Entertainment and Felker Toczek Suddleson Abramson.
MadRiver Internationalis a partnership between Marc Butan’s MadRiver Pictures and Vincent Maraval’s Wild Bunch International. Kim Fox oversees the Company’s operations. MadRiver International’s primary focus is serving as sales agent on English language, mid and larger budgeted films for the international theatrical and streaming marketplace.
The MadRiver slate includes:What Is Life Worthstarring Michael Keaton and directed by Sara Colangelo which is currently in post-production; Tim Kirkby’sWaldostarring Mel Gibson and Charlie Hunnam, also in post-production; Scott Z. BurnsThe Reportstarring Adam Driver, which Amazon is releasing on November 15th; and Guy Ritchie’sThe Gentlemenwhich will be distributed by STX on January 24th.
