Zac Efron is negotiating to co-star with Hugh Jackman in the P.T. Barnum biopic The Greatest Showman on Earth. Jackman will play Barnum, a controversial and over the top showman who created the three-ring Barnum & Bailey Circus, which he lauded as The Greatest Show on Earth and which dramatically impacted live entertainment forever. Admired for his lasting achievements, this colorful visionary has also been criticized for taking advantage of a gullible public.

According to Variety, “The project is a major priority for the studio given its relationship with Jackman and the lengths it has taken to get the film off the ground. Should Efron’s deal go through, it would serve to solidify the project and give it a shot of momentum.”

No word yet on what character Efron would play should he join the cast of this high profile film, which has been in the works since 2009.

The movie will mark Michael Gracey’s directorial debut. He is best known as a visual artist, with credits that include Ned Kelly and the TV series The Genie from Down Under 2. The screenplay was written by Bill Condon (The Twilight Saga) and Jenny Bicks, whose most recent work includes Rio 2.

Hugh Jackman is presently working on a different type of film, the latest Wolverine sequel, which debuts March 3, 2017. The versatile actor is also voicing a character for the animated Australian musical Larrikins, due out in 2018. Zac Efron will soon be seen in the much buzzed about comedy feature, Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates, in theaters July 8.

The Greatest Showman on Earth will arrive nationwide on December 25.