Thanks to Netflix and Zac Efron, the words "Ted Bundy" have, once again, permeated news rooms and sound waves. Sundance film Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile was acquired by the streaming giant at the festival earlier this year, and now, we finally have a release date for what may be the most controversial serial killer flick of the year.
According to Deadline, Netflix will release the movie — in which Efron plays the notorious murderer and rapist — on May 3. The film will hit theaters the same day.
With the release date comes a new trailer for the film, which is told from the perspective of Bundy's girlfriend Liz Kendall (Lily Collins). While previous trailers focused on the fanfare surrounding the trial of the allegedly charming Bundy (described in this trailer as "dreamy" by a person interviewed on the news), the most recent sneak peek at Extremely Wicked reveals Liz's struggle to see the person she loves most as a monster. It's clear that the movie is Liz's story, even if Bundy may be the name everyone knows.
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"I actually had an awful time in prep for [the movie]," Collins told Variety of playing Kendall. "I woke up every single night at 3 or 4 a.m. for a month. I was woken up with visions of destruction around rooms, logs, and broken glass."
Though the film has yet to be seen by a wide audience, Extremely Wicked received significant backlash after viewers believed previous trailers glorified Bundy, rather than remembering his victims. (Bundy murdered at least 28 women, though it's possible he killed many more.)
Director Joe Berlinger, who is also the person behind Netflix docuseries Confessions Of A Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes insisted that he is not glamorizing the killer at the center of the film.
“I think the idea of this particular story, making a movie about Bundy, equals glorification of him is a very naive and knee-jerk reaction," Berlinger told Bustle. “I think telling filmmakers any subject matter is off limits is a very slippery slope that leads us to Trump declaring that the media is ‘fake news.’”
You can make the judgment call for yourself on May 3. Check out the trailer below: