One hates to be too cynical, but even before a trailer was dropped or much promotion, Screen Media has been making sure everyone knows how hard and what brutal conditions Zac Efron worked on the upcoming drama “Gold.” See video features on The Today Show and Australia’s Stan, where the movie was filmed to see many self-congratulatory stories about how Zac Efron can slum on indies just like the rest of us! To be totally fair, the conditions look pretty harsh and challenging, but one can’t help but chuckle a little, given that not every actor does this.
OK, well, with that out of the way, “Gold” is directed by Anthony Hayes and written by Hayes and Polly Smyth. The film stars Zac Efron, as well as appearances by Porter and Hayes. It sounds like a primarily one-person show, but the basic logline reads, “when two men discover the biggest gold nugget ever found, they must find a way to excavate it.”
“GOLD” is about greed and the lengths people will go to in order to secure themselves a fortune, and I suppose that’s a big change for Efron. Here’s the official synopsis:
In the not too distant future, two drifters (Zac Efron, Anthony Hayes) traveling through the desert stumble across the biggest gold nugget ever found, and the dream of immense wealth and greed takes hold. They hatch a plan to excavate their bounty with one man leaving to secure the necessary tools. The other man remains and must endure harsh desert elements, ravenous wild dogs, and mysterious intruders while battling the sinking suspicion that he has been abandoned to his own fate.
Screen Media Films will release “Gold” exclusively in theaters on March 11th. Watch the first trailer below.