Zac Efron has signed on to star in 'The Necessary Death of Charlie Countryman'.

The 23-year-old actor has joined the movie after music video director Fredrik Bond got on board to helm the project.

Zac will play a young man who heads to Europe to find himself, only to fall in love with a local woman.

However, problems arise when her ex - a gang boss from the criminal Underworld - stands in their way.

Zac, best known for his work with ex-girlfriend Vanessa Hudgens in the 'High School Musical' franchise, was last seen in 'The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud' and currently has a number of projects in the pipeline, including a role in ensemble romantic comedy 'New Year's Eve' with Sarah Jessica Parker and Michelle Pfeiffer.

In 2012 he will be seen in drama 'The Lucky One' about an Iraq war veteran who returns to the US to find a woman he believes was his good luck charm and kept him alive during his time in The Middle East.