'Papillon': Did Ted Bundy Actually Read Book From 'Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile'?

Netflix users sprung at the chance on Friday, May 3 to see Zac Efron portray the infamous serial killer Ted Bundy in Joe Berlinger's Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, and as expected, we all have a bunch of questions after watching. The film, based on the book written by Bundy's ex-girlfriend Elizabeth Kloepfer called The Phantom Prince: My Life with Ted Bundy, portrayed a different side to the story then we're used to seeing--as it did not show any of Bundy's murders explicitly.

Among the many questions we have from the new film is regarding one of the more minor details. Throughout most of Bundy's incarceration, he's adamant on staying with his then-girlfriend Liz (played by Lily Collins), telling her she should never lose hope of their relationship. He mentions he's been reading a book called Papillon by Henri Charrière, about an imprisoned man determined to escape. This, of course, becomes a source of inspiration for Bundy as he tries (and succeeds) to get out of jail.

So, did Ted Bundy really have an obsession with Papillon in real life? As Esquire reports, there is no mention of the book in Kloepfer's memoir. And because there's no record we can find of the late murderer's attachment to the novel, it's safe to assume it was simply added for the film.