Featured Image Credit: Stan Original/ PA
Topics: TV And Film, Zac Efron
Ali Condon
Topics: TV And Film, Zac Efron
Zac Efron is almost unrecognisable in the trailer for his new action-packed film Gold, and we don't know how to feel.
Long gone are the days of fully choreographed dance routines in school cafeterias or body-oil-smothered, slow-motion runs on the beach - Zac is getting wrinkled, bloody, and dirty in the desert.
You can watch the trailer for Gold here.
Zac stars in the film as an unnamed man, alongside Anthony Hayes (The Slap) and Susie Porter, who will do whatever it takes to excavate an enormous gold nugget.
While his partner ventures off to gather the necessary equipment to excavate the nugget, Zac's character fights to endure the cruel desert climate and the dangers the lurk around him.
The thriller, filmed in south Australia, tackles themes of greed, obsession, the impact humans have on the environment, and mental endurance - not exactly a light watch, then...
The Greatest Showman star seems to be ditching his rom-com heartthrob status and, according to early reviews, it's really paying off!
Zac is said to show off some serious acting chops in this film, even while filming in some seriously harsh conditions.
In a behind-the-scenes teaser for the forthcoming film, Zac revealed that he even filmed scenes in the middle of "massive dust storms."
He said: "We filmed through some of the gnarliest conditions I've ever witnessed in my life.
"It showed a lot of solidarity and teamwork on behalf of the crew and our production. It was really really fun."
After the film debuted in Australia, Zac shared a clip of the trailer to his own Instagram account, and wrote: "Filming this was brutal - but I love this s**t.
"So proud of everyone involved and thank you to everyone who has watched so far."
Zac's co-star and the film's director Anthony Hayes has already been raving about the 34-year-old's performance on-set, describing him as "very down-to-earth, very, open, really great to work with."
He told 9Entertainment: " It's funny how you go, 'Oh, he's a Hollywood star, he's obviously going to be horrible', but he is really hardworking, he never complained once.
"And the conditions he was under were extreme. And I wasn't on every day. He was there in every shot. I think people will really see what a fantastic actor he is."
Gold is available to watch now on Australian streaming service Stan, and is expected to premiere internationally later this year.