John Malkovich

John Malkovich has joined Zac Efron on the cast of Voltage’s Ted Bundy thriller Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, And Vile ahead of a January 18 production start.

Joe Berlinger will direct the true-crime thriller from a screenplay by Michael Werwie that won the Nicholl Fellowship first prize and was featured on the Black List.

Ara Keshishian and Voltage chief Nicolas Chartier are producing for the company, alongside Michael Costigan for COTA Entertainment, and Michael Simkin for Efron’s Ninjas Runnin Wild Productions. Voltage introduced the project in Cannes last summer and fully finances, with Jonathan Deckter and Ninjas Runnin Wild’s Jason Barrett on board as executive producers.

Malkovich will play Judge Edward Cowart, the Florida judge who presided over the 1979 trial of serial killer Ted Bundy. The televised trial was a media sensation and ultimately led to Bundy’s death, but not before the murderer represented himself and developed a rapport with the judge.

Efron stars as Bundy opposite Lily Collins as his longtime girlfriend, Elizabeth Kloepfer. The story is told from Kloepfer’s point of view, who had no knowledge of the killings while they were together.

Malkovich recently appeared in Deepwater Horizon and is best known for his roles in the iconic films In The Line Of Fire, Dangerous Liaisons and Con Air.

Efron stars in The Disaster Artist as his credits include another film currently in theatres, The Greatest Showman, as well as Baywatch, and the Neighbors series.

Collins recently starred in To The Bone, Okja, and Rules Don’t Apply.