Zac Efron made sure not to celebrate Ted Bundy in his portrayal

Serial killer Ted Bundy was sentenced to death 30 years ago. However, he has become a hot topic yet again thanks to a Netflix documentary and an upcoming feature film starring Zac Efron.

The highly anticipated Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil And Vile trailer dropped Friday and immediately polarized viewers over his portrayal. It also lead to one of the serial killer’s survivors to speak up. However, Efron is revealing what actually led to his choice to take the role.

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With such polarizing views already arising, it makes sense that Efron would cautiously approach taking on the infamous role.

“Initially, I had reservations about playing a serial killer,” he tells Variety. “I’ve seen people make horror films like this before, and it seems like an aggressive play to separate yourself from a perceived image. And it’s got a lot of killing and hacking and slashing. I think I’ve seen that before too many times.”

Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil And Vile describes itself as, “a chronicle of the crimes of Ted Bundy, from the perspective of his longtime girlfriend, Elizabeth Kloepfer, who refused to believe the truth about him for years.” This perspective actually drew Efron to the role.

“This movie was really about a human being, somebody that perhaps I would have been friends with,” Efron says. “And a love story from a very unique perspective. I’ve never seen that before. It’s intriguing to me. I think it’s more psychological and even more kind of a mindf–k.”

Even after accepting the role, Efron knew he had to continue to approach it cautiously.

“I feel a responsibility to make sure that this movie is not a celebration of Ted Bundy,” he says. “Or a glorification of him. But, definitely, a psychological study of who this person was. In that, there’s honesty.”

Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil And Vile doesn’t have a release yet, but you can view the upcoming film’s trailer below.

Ted Bundy survivor speaks up on serial killer’s glorification

Bundy killed at least 30 women between 1974 and 1978, but he attacked even more. In 1978, Bundy went on a rampage through Florida State University’s Chi Omega sorority.

Kathy Kleiner Rubin was asleep in her dorm room when he entered, tripping over a trunk and waking her up before he began to attack both her and roommate Karen Chandler. Bundy was scared off by a car light flooding the window, leaving both women as survivors.

Kleiner Rubin is now speaking with TMZ after the latest buzz around Bundy.

“I don’t have a problem with people looking at it as long as they understand that what they’re watching wasn’t a normal person,” she explains.

Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil And Vile is told through longtime girlfriend Elizabeth Kloepfer’s perspective. While critics have begun praising Efron’s portrayal following its Sundance Festival premiere this week, Kleiner Rubin explains how it glorifies him.

“I believe that in order to show him exactly the way it was, it’s not really glorifying him, but it’s showing him and when they do say positive and wonderful things about him, that’s what they saw,” she continues. “That’s what Bundy wanted you to see, so it was picked up as that, and I think the movie does glorify him more than I think he should be, but like I said, I think everyone should see it and understand him as what he was even when he was the perfect son.”

Rubin also explains she hopes that people will see the film and in turn be more cautious.

“I think hopefully it will make women, mainly, that’s my heart is to care for the women to be more aware of their surroundings and be cautious. He had different tactics he used to have people help him get in cars or do things. And in your gut, if you just feel that something doesn’t feel right, just say no.”

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