Mmmm Zac in a sexy thriller . . . I very much like the sound of that !!!!

Zac Efron is keen to leave his teen idol image behind – he has signed on to star in a “sexy thriller” from the writer of The Thomas Crown Affair.

Efron, who has built up a huge teenage fanbase after starring in Disney hit High School Musical, is looking to move into a lead role with a more mature edge.

And he is starting his transformation into a serious Hollywood actor by appearing in the next film by writer/producer Leslie Dixon.

But the star won’t feel too out of place in Dixon’s movie – the pair worked together on Hairspray, according to the Hollywood Reporter.