Zac Efron Ready to Take a Beating for Love (on Screen)

Zac Efron,still looking for his big breakout serious role, has been hired as the lead in an untitled romantic actioner for Mandate Pictures ('The Switch,' 'Drag Me to Hell'). The film centers on a suburban kid (Efron) who travels to Eastern Europe, falls for an alluring young woman, and then encounters the woman's dangerous criminal ex-boyfriend, who proceeds to make sure that Efron gets one brutal beating after another before he can win the girl, according toVariety.

Swedish commercial director Fredrik Bond, who has directed ads for Nike, Levis, Adidas, Guinness and Heineken, and was nominated in 2004, 2008 and 2009 for the Directors Guild of America's outstanding director in commercials, will helm the production.

Efron's last starring role, in 'Charlie St. Cloud,' was a bit of a dud. He's just finished a juicy role in director Scott Hicks' 'The Lucky One,' a story about a Marine who returns to North Carolina after serving three tours in Iraq and searches for the unknown woman he believes was his good luck charm during the war. He's also finished Garry Marshall's ensemble comedy 'New Year's Eve.'

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