Despite the controversy surrounding Zac Efron’s Ted Bundy film, Netflix has made a very bold and somewhat risky move.
WATCH: Zac Efron praised for his portrayal.
This morning, the Hollywood Reporter revealed that Netflix has snagged the opportunity to feature Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile on the streaming service. However, at this stage, they’ve only acquired the rights to feature the film in the United States.
Fear not, the streaming giant also has plans to acquire international rights to the drama.
The film follows serial killer Ted Bundy’s life through the eyes of his girlfriend Elizabeth Kloepfer, who was adamant the man she knew and loved did not commit the heinous crimes he was accused of. The lovable Zac Efron takes on the role of Bundy, Lily Collins stars as his partner Kloepfer and John Malkovich plays Edward Cowart – the presiding judge at Bundy’s 1979 Florida trial who sentenced the murderer and rapist to death.
Following the release of the 90-second teaser trailer, critics blasted the filmmaker for glorifying Bundy by over-emphasising his charm and good looks.
“I think the idea of this particular story, making a movie about Bundy, equals glorification of him is a very naive and knee-jerk reaction,” Director of the biopic Joe Berlinger told Bustle. “If you actually watch the movie, the last thing we’re doing is glorifying him. He gets his due at the end, but we’re portraying the experience of how one becomes a victim to that kind of psychopathic seduction.”
Berlinger, who also directed Netflix’s brilliant docuseries Conversations With a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes, encouraged others to watch the movie before criticising it.
“Look, there have been a lot of movies about Adolf Hitler and about the Holocaust, but if somebody were to have a new angle as a way of illuminating some aspect of the human condition or aspect of that particular story… I think telling filmmakers any subject matter is off limits is a very slippery slope that leads us to Trump declaring that the media is ‘fake news,’” he said.
“I think there should be no censoring of subject matter if it’s done responsibly,” he continued. “And even if it’s done irresponsibly, people have the right to tell any story they want to tell.”
Despite initial backlash, the flick received overwhelmingly positive reviews at its worldwide premiere, with experienced film critics like Variety’s Oewn Gleibermen praising Zac Efron for his brilliant portrayal.
“He’s startlingly good: controlled, magnetic, audacious, committed, and eerily right.”
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