Recognizing that when an iron is hot, you must strike it, Zac Efron is lining up movies as fast as he can. The High School Musical and Hairspray heartthrob will star in a Richard Linkletter film called Me and Orson Welles before shooting the next High School Musical sequel. The dubious grammatical correctness of the title aside, Me and Orson Welles may allow Efron to try something he hasn’t had much experience with thus far…acting.

The Hollywood Reporter says the film will focus on Efron as a high school student who gets a small role in the first performance of the Mercury Theater after being noticed by Orson Welles. He learns about life and love and Welles teaches him that he should serve no wine before its time.

Also cast thus far are Ben Chaplin and Christian McKay, who will play Welles. Linkletter is directing from a script written by Holly Gent Palmo and Vincent Palmo who both have worked on his films in the past. If anyone can help Efron break out from being the next David Cassidy, it’s a director like Linkletter, who brings some cred just by showing up.