Efron is Jonny Quest

Zac Efron is everywhere these days, and with 17 AGAIN set for release next week, the teen hearthrob is poised to transition from just plain superstar to actual movie star. For cynical, pale and overweight dudes such as ourselves, we can only scoff at the boy’s prospects of achieving credibility. But his desire to be taken seriously was made loud and clear when he recently dropped out of a planned FOOTLOOSE remake for fear of being typecast as that “singing and dancing kid”.

Now comes news that Efron has been cast as the title role in Warner Bros.’ planned live-action version of the popular ’60s Hanna-Barbera cartoon show Jonny Quest. Apparently the studio is looking to change the name of the film to avoid comparisons to last summer’s flop SPEED RACER, another film based on a popular cartoon. The original series was about a boy who followed his father on extraordinary adventures around the world. No word yet on who will co-star and direct, however rumours abound that The Rock and his RACE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN director Andy Fickman are circling the project.