Zac Efron will star in ‘Gold’.

The 33-year-old actor has been lined up to take a major role in the upcoming survival thriller flick, which is set to be directed by Anthony Hayes, and will be introduced to buyers at the upcoming American Film Market.

Altitude Film Sales and CAA Media Finance will co-represent domestic sales on the film, and production is expected to begin in Australia - where Efron currently lives - later this month.

Hayes will also star in the film alongside Efron, and the production tells the story of two strangers who together find a giant gold nugget while traveling through the desert.

While one man leaves to go find supplies and return, the other is left to guard the gold, which puts him up against the elements of the desert, ravenous wild dogs, mysterious intruders and his own sanity that he’s been left here to die.

On top of starring in and directing the movie, Hayes also co-wrote the script alongside Polly Smyth, and he’ll produce for Rogue Star Pictures along with John Schwarz and Michael Schwarz through their Deeper Water Films banner. 

The film’s executive producers are Andrew Mann, Peter Touche, Simon Williams, Paul Wiegard, Will Clarke, Andy Mayson, Nick Forward and Mike Runagall.

Madman Entertainment will release ‘Gold’ in Australia before it lands on an Australian streaming service Stan, which helped arrange the financing.

For Efron, the new role comes after he recently joined the cast of Stephen King story ‘Firestarter’, and is also starring in a Disney+ remake of ‘Three Men and a Baby’.

Efron’s last role was in a TV miniseries documentary called ‘Down to Earth With Zac Efron’ that debuted over the summer on Netflix.