Zac Efron’s latest movie sees the “High School Musical” veteran graduating to the role of doting dad. The parenting challenges his character must face, however, aren’t for the faint of heart.
The actor stars in a new adaptation of “Firestarter,” due in theaters and on Peacock May 13. Based on Stephen King’s 1980 horror novel, the film follows Andy McKee (played by Efron), a father who is forced into hiding after his daughter, Charlie (Ryan Kiera Armstrong), exhibits the ability to conjure fire when she’s in distress.
Together, the father and daughter duo roam the U.S. as they attempt to evade capture by operatives from a sinister government agency known as “The Shop” seeking to harness Charlie’s superpowers as a weapon of mass destruction.
Catch the “Firestarter” trailer below.
King fans may recall that “Firestarter” was first adapted for the big screen in 1984. Critics scorched the movie, with The Washington Post calling it “a derivative embarrassment of a conception,” but it has since attained a cult following thanks to an 8-year-old Drew Barrymore’s indelible performance as Charlie.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, director Keith Thomas said 2022’s “Firestarter” deviates from its source material but is “still very, very true to what I see as the core of that novel, the very emotional core.”
Producer Jason Blum agreed, noting that King was “very generous with his response and his comments” after viewing the new adaptation.
“It’s something I’ve thought about doing for a long time and we finally got the right mix of folks to make the movie,” he told EW. “I’m very proud of it, I’m very excited for people to see it.”