Nearly six years after it was first set up at Paramount Pictures, the adaptation of John Grisham's 2009 novel The Associate has found new life, with Zac Efron coming on board to star and produce.

Shia LaBeouf was originally attached to star back in 2008, with director Tony Scott circling the project in 2010. William Monahan (The Departed) previously worked on the script, but Red Wagon Entertainment is currently seeking writers before bringing the project to the studios.

The story centers on a young Yale Law School graduate (Zac Efron) who is blackmailed by a group of criminals and forced to take a job at the world's largest law firm. He must spy on their work in settling a contract dispute between two of the world's biggest defense contractors worth billions of dollars.

Douglas Wick and Lucy Fisher, who are both behind the young adult novel adaptation Divergent, are producing through their Red Wagon Entertainment company.

Zac Efron most recently starred in That Awkward Moment, and he will next be seen in the upcoming comedy Neighbors.