# Famous (film)
**Famous** is an upcoming American thriller directed by [Jody Hill](https://www.edgepedia.org/jody-hill), written by Chad Hodge, and based on [Blake Crouch](https://www.edgepedia.org/blake-crouch)'s 2010 novel of the same name. [Zac Efron](https://www.edgepedia.org/zac-efron) stars in dual roles as Lance Dunkquist, an obsessive look-alike of the Hollywood star James Jansen, and as Jansen himself; the film follows Lance to Los Angeles as he pursues fame "no matter what it takes."[1](https://www.thewrap.com/zac-efron-to-star-in-the-jody-hill-comedy-famous/) It is produced for distribution by A24, with Esmail Corp, Caviar, and Black Bear among the production and financing companies.[2](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/english/news/2024/Sep/04/phoebe-dynevor-onboard-zac-efron-starrer-celebrity-thriller-famous) • [3](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Famous-%28Unkn%29)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Director / screenwriter | Jody Hill; Chad Hodge, adapted from Blake Crouch's novel *Famous*[1](https://www.thewrap.com/zac-efron-to-star-in-the-jody-hill-comedy-famous/) |
| Lead | Zac Efron in dual roles as Lance Dunkquist and James Jansen[1](https://www.thewrap.com/zac-efron-to-star-in-the-jody-hill-comedy-famous/) |
| Cast | Phoebe Dynevor, Nicholas Braun, Bill Pullman, Ernie Hudson, Debby Ryan, Stephanie Koenig, Cory Michael Smith, Daniel Zovatto, Ginger Gonzaga, Mekki Leeper[2](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/english/news/2024/Sep/04/phoebe-dynevor-onboard-zac-efron-starrer-celebrity-thriller-famous) • [4](https://www.filmaffinity.com/es/film415622.html) |
| Producers | Sam Esmail, Chad Hamilton, Michael Sagol (also credited are Allison Hironaka, Bert Hamelinck, and Nick Krishnamurthy)[2](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/english/news/2024/Sep/04/phoebe-dynevor-onboard-zac-efron-starrer-celebrity-thriller-famous) • [5](https://talesfromthecollection.com/famous/) |
| Production and financing | A24, Esmail Corp, CAA Media Finance, WME Independent, Black Bear[3](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Famous-%28Unkn%29) |
| Filming | Los Angeles, November 4 to December 11, 2024[5](https://talesfromthecollection.com/famous/) |
| Release status | Completed and in post-production; no release date announced, with listings placing it in 2026 or 2027[6](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31261128/) • [4](https://www.filmaffinity.com/es/film415622.html) |
## Plot and source novel
The film adapts Blake Crouch's standalone thriller *Famous*, first published in 2010 and reissued by Ballantine Books on September 23, 2025 ahead of the movie.[7](https://capesandtights.com/famous-review-not-your-average-celebrity-story/) • [8](https://blakecrouch.com/books/famous/) The novel opens with the protagonist's self-introduction: "My name is Lancelot Blue Dunkquist, and the best thing about me is, when you doll me up right, I look just like the movie star James Jansen."[8](https://blakecrouch.com/books/famous/)
In the book, Lance is thirty-eight years old, works a meaningless job, and still lives above his parents' garage, but he has a "million-dollar face": he has been mistaken eighty-seven times for the Oscar-winning star James Jansen. Having studied Jansen's films, movements, idiosyncrasies, and speech for ten years, he is fired from his job and sets out to truly become Jansen, a journey that runs from New York's off-off-Broadway scene to Los Angeles and takes him "to darker lengths than he could've possibly imagined."[8](https://blakecrouch.com/books/famous/) Crouch's site describes the book as darkly humorous and genre-blending, building to a shocking conclusion.[8](https://blakecrouch.com/books/famous/)
The film's synopsis diverges on one detail. IMDb's listing states that Lance "has been mistaken for Hollywood star James Jansen 228 times,"[6](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31261128/) while the novel's official description gives eighty-seven times.[8](https://blakecrouch.com/books/famous/) Both figures appear in current promotional material for the project.
## Production
The project was announced on February 8, 2024, when TheWrap reported that Zac Efron would star in Jody Hill's *Famous* as the package was presented at the European Film Market. Black Bear handled international sales, with CAA Media Finance and WME Independent representing United States rights, and [Sam Esmail](https://www.edgepedia.org/sam-esmail) and Chad Hamilton producing through Esmail Corp.[1](https://www.thewrap.com/zac-efron-to-star-in-the-jody-hill-comedy-famous/) A24 secured domestic distribution rights, reuniting with Efron after *The Iron Claw* (2023).[9](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/zac-efron-star-opposite-ferrell-181500597.html)
**Casting continued through 2024.** In September 2024 it was reported that [Phoebe Dynevor](https://www.edgepedia.org/phoebe-dynevor) had joined the production in a lead role alongside Efron.[2](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/english/news/2024/Sep/04/phoebe-dynevor-onboard-zac-efron-starrer-celebrity-thriller-famous) Principal photography ran in Los Angeles from November 4 to December 11, 2024, under the production entities Esmail Corp and Famous Film Production LLC.[5](https://talesfromthecollection.com/famous/) The crew includes cinematographer [Paul Daley](https://www.edgepedia.org/paul-daley) and composer Joseph Stephens.[4](https://www.filmaffinity.com/es/film415622.html)
By 2026, the film had been listed as completed and in post-production on several databases without a confirmed release date. FilmAffinity's entry gives 2027 as the year, while Moviepilot and FilmTV.it list it as 2026.[6](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31261128/) • [4](https://www.filmaffinity.com/es/film415622.html)
## Cast and characters
The credited cast includes the following roles:[6](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31261128/)
- Zac Efron as Lance Dunkquist and James Jansen
- Phoebe Dynevor
- [Nicholas Braun](https://www.edgepedia.org/nicholas-braun)
- [Bill Pullman](https://www.edgepedia.org/bill-pullman)
- [Ernie Hudson](https://www.edgepedia.org/ernie-hudson)
- Debby Ryan
- Stephanie Koenig
- Cory Michael Smith
- Daniel Zovatto
- Ginger Gonzaga as Eva
- Mekki Leeper
- Jackson Kelly as Connor
- Ryann Shane as Diandra
- Price Carson as Tom Dunkquist
## The filmmakers
**Jody Hill** directs his fourth feature. His earlier films include the 2006 black comedy *The Foot Fist Way* and the 2018 dramedy *The Legacy of a Whitetail Deer Hunter*, both starring [Danny McBride](https://www.edgepedia.org/danny-mcbride), and he has directed episodes of *Eastbound & Down*, *The Righteous Gemstones*, and *Peacemaker*.[1](https://www.thewrap.com/zac-efron-to-star-in-the-jody-hill-comedy-famous/) [Screenwriter](https://www.edgepedia.org/screenwriter) **Chad Hodge** and novelist **Blake Crouch** had previously collaborated on adaptations of Crouch's *Wayward Pines* trilogy and the television series *Good Behavior*.[1](https://www.thewrap.com/zac-efron-to-star-in-the-jody-hill-comedy-famous/) Producer **Sam Esmail**, creator of *Mr. Robot*, came to the project off his success producing Netflix's *Leave the World Behind* (2023).[1](https://www.thewrap.com/zac-efron-to-star-in-the-jody-hill-comedy-famous/) Crouch is also the author of *Dark Matter*, which he adapted as a series for Apple TV+, and *Recursion*, being developed for Netflix by [Shonda Rhimes](https://www.edgepedia.org/shonda-rhimes) and Matt Reeves.[10](https://about.netflix.com/en/news/shonda-rhimes-and-matt-reeves-developing-blake-crouchs-recursion-for-netflix) • [11](https://time.com/6974391/dark-matter-apple-tv-blake-crouch-interview/)
## References
1. [Zac Efron to Star in the Jody Hill Comedy 'Famous', TheWrap (February 8, 2024)](https://www.thewrap.com/zac-efron-to-star-in-the-jody-hill-comedy-famous/)
2. [Phoebe Dynevor onboard Zac Efron starrer celebrity thriller Famous, Cinema Express (September 4, 2024)](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/english/news/2024/Sep/04/phoebe-dynevor-onboard-zac-efron-starrer-celebrity-thriller-famous)
3. [Famous (2025), The Numbers](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Famous-%28Unkn%29)
4. [Famous, FilmAffinity](https://www.filmaffinity.com/es/film415622.html)
5. [Famous: A Hilarious and Heartfelt Journey of Identity and Fame, Tales From The Collection](https://talesfromthecollection.com/famous/)
6. [Famous, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31261128/)
7. [Famous Review: Not Your Average Celebrity Story, Capes and Tights](https://capesandtights.com/famous-review-not-your-average-celebrity-story/)
8. [Famous, Author Blake Crouch](https://blakecrouch.com/books/famous/)
9. [Zac Efron To Star Opposite Will Ferrell In New Comedy From Amazon MGM Studios, Yahoo Entertainment/Deadline (February 3, 2025)](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/zac-efron-star-opposite-ferrell-181500597.html)
10. [Shonda Rhimes and Matt Reeves Developing Blake Crouch's 'Recursion' for Netflix, About Netflix (October 4, 2018)](https://about.netflix.com/en/news/shonda-rhimes-and-matt-reeves-developing-blake-crouchs-recursion-for-netflix)
11. [How Blake Crouch Turned His Best-Selling Sci-Fi Thriller into Apple TV+'s Dark Matter, TIME (May 8, 2024)](https://time.com/6974391/dark-matter-apple-tv-blake-crouch-interview/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Crime, thriller, and mystery films (individual works) › 2025–2026 films › Psychological and erotic thrillers*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 19, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 19, 2026; Oct 11, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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