It's hard to imagine celebrities like Zac Efron and Jim Parsons being involved in anything remotely connected to one of the worst serial killers in US history - yet here we are. The Baywatch actor has posted a few snaps of him on set as the infamous Ted Bundy, but now we have a first look into The Big Bang Theory star's role in the upcoming Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile.
Parsons will be playing Larry Simpson, who was the lead prosecutor in the 1979 trial that eventually convicted Bundy and sentenced him to death for the murders of Margaret Bowman and Lisa Levy, which became known as the Chi Omega homicides.
That court case was one of the most famous in American legal history as it was covered by 250 reporters from five continents and was the first televised trial in the US.
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But it was also noteworthy based on the fact that Bundy largely represented himself.
Attorney Polly Nelson - who was a part of Bundy's last defence team - said the serial killer wanted to be in charge during his legal proceedings.
She wrote in her 1994 book that from the beginning, Ted 'sabotaged the entire defense effort out of spite, distrust, and grandiose delusion'.
Shockingly, the prosecution organised a pre-trial plea bargain for Bundy, where he would admit his guilt in exchange for a 75-year prison term, effectively avoiding a death sentence.
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While most people would look at three quarters of a century behind bars as a pretty terrible option for Ted, he saw it as a golden opportunity.
According to George Dekle's 2011 book about Bundy's execution, the serial killer wanted this option because then it would allow him to bide his time in prison and wait for evidence to either become lost or be inconclusive and for witnesses to either die or retract their testimony.
That's how calculated he was.
He was planning on taking the deal, waiting in prison for a few years to then launch a post-conviction motion that would bring the case back into the courtroom, where he'd hope to get an acquittal. But he changed his mind at the last second.
Mike Minerva, another one of Bundy's attorneys, told the Seattle Times: "It made him realize he was going to have to stand up in front of the whole world and say he was 'guilty'. He just couldn't do it."
The trial will be an incredibly captivating part of Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. John Malkovich has signed on to play the role of Edward Cowart, who was the judge presiding over Bundy's case.
With a cast that also includes Lily Collins, Jeffrey Donovan and Kaya Scodelario, it's set to be an incredible film.
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