Mark Wahlberg’s upcoming heist movie could launch the franchise 3 of his former co-stars failed to

Mark Wahlberg Play dirty Can finally launch a franchise that three of his biggest co-stars failed. When Wahlberg made the unlikely transition from rapper to movie star, he balanced acclaimed dramas like boogie nights With B-movies like The corruptor. Mark Wahlberg’s action movies soon became a subgenre unto themselves and in recent years he’s gravitated more towards family-friendly projects like Arthur the KingHe will still dip back into R-rated action on occasion.

On that front, Wahlberg has two notable projects on the way. The first is Flight riskWhere Wahlberg takes on a rare villainous role as a hitman who poses as a pilot and tries to kill a federal witness. Flight risk is also helped by his Daddy’s Home 2 It co-stars Mel Gibson, making his first directorial effort since 2016 Hawk’s Ridge. Wahlberg also has heist movie Play dirty From director Shane Schwartz on the horizonCasting the star as a vicious thief trying to pull off a big score.

Mark Wahlberg’s play Gross adapts the Parker crime novel series

This isn’t Parker’s first time on the big screen

While Play dirty It does not seem to adapt a particular book, it is based on the cult Parker Novel series By Donald J. Westlake. The first novel The hunter Followed Parker as he sought revenge against those who betrayed him after a heist gone wrong – including his wife. The book’s relentless pace, predictable writing and amoral anti-hero made it a surprise hit, and Westlake penned over 20 novels with the character before his passing in 2008.

If this character sounds familiar, that’s because Jason Statham can’t launch a ParkR franchise after the 2013 thriller of the same name. Shane Black is a noted fan of old pulp paperbacks – like Kiss kiss bang bang Or his Amazon pilot Edge Should prove – and there couldn’t be a better director to bring Parker back to life. While Parker isn’t exactly a monster, he is borderline sociopathic and willing to hurt or kill anyone who gets in the way of his goals.

assuming Play dirty Stays true to the character, the film and Flight risk Could signal a move into darker roles for Wahlberg In future. The Parker Books are also adapted many times, with the most famous The hunter Adaptation Point black From 1967 with Lee Marvin. Almost all of the movies sanded down the thief’s harder edges, so it will be interesting to see just how rough Parker will be in Wahlberg’s hands.

Several of Wahlberg’s co-stars have played Parker onscreen

From Robert Duvall’s Macklin to Mel Gibson’s Porter

Westlake may have optional books like The hunter to producers, but unless they agreed to make a series of films, he refused to let them use the name Parker as well. That’s what Marvin’s Point black Protagonist is renamed “Walker,” for example. Statham Parker Was the first time an attempt was really made to build a series of filmsBut the film was a box-office disappointment. In total, three of Wahlberg’s former co-stars played versions of Parker, including Robert Duvall in the 1973s. The outfitMel Gibson in Payback and Statham in Parker.

Wahlberg and Duvall worked together in We own the nightStatham was his co-star in The Italian work While he and Gibson have worked together several times. Of the three actors, it seems that only Statham’s take was created with sequels in mind. even so, Had Payback It was a bigger hit in 1999, so it’s easy to see Warner Bros. pushing Gibson for a sequel.. The third Parker book The outfit is a direct sequel to The hunter And would have made a great starting point for a Payback Sequel.

The outfit Also served as the source novel for the 1973 Robert Duvall movie of the same name. Considering franchises were few and far between at the time, it’s doubtful anyone involved — including Duvall — gave much thought to a Outfit Sequel. The Statham, Gibson and Duvall movies all have intriguing spins on Parker as a character as well; Statham’s Parker was tweaked to suit his action persona, whereas Gibson’s Porter may be violent and tough, but he also has a sense of humor and a romantic subplot.

Why none of the past Parker movies spawned a franchise

The chances of Payback 2: Paid in Full are always remote

Just like Statham Parker for him Play dirty is set with a potential series in mind. Despite being based on a popular series of crime books, Parker as a character is a hard sell to mainstream audiences. in The hunterHe’s practically the Terminator, punching and shooting his way through the criminal underworld to recover a relatively modest amount of money. There is even a passage where he accidentally kills an innocent woman, but instead of feeling guilt or shame, he is saved from himself for letting such an unprofessional thing happen.

Audiences may be drawn to anti-heroes, however Parker is so cold and humorless that softening him for a movie adaptation is almost essential. The Statham movie did not land a sequel because it received a lukewarm critical response (standing at 41% on Rotten tomatoes) and earned just over $46 million worldwide. The film also didn’t do justice to the character, and more than that, felt like any number of action programmers the star fronted around this period like Sure.

Payback was better received and came during Gibson’s movie star peak, but unlike these Lethal weapon Saga, the film and Porter are just too edgy to draw audiences back for more. The same is true for Duvall’s The outfitAnd even if this tough thriller was an oversized success, the chances of a follow-up are always slim.

Play Dirty could be the movie that finally cracks the character

Shane Black’s Parker adaptation could unlock the thief for mainstream audiences

Little is revealed about Play dirty So far, including how accurate it will be in Westlake’s work. Because Black is such a fan of the series, it’s doubtful he’d be aiming to make a family-friendly PG-13 riff on the property. Schwartz has such a gift for character and action that Play dirty Has every chance to be a success When it comes. The writer/director has also proven time and again with screenplays like Lethal weapon Or The last boy scoutThat he can write flawed, sometimes unlikeable protagonists that viewers can still root for.

Play dirty was originally developed with Robert Downey Jr in mind, with Wahlberg stepping into the Parker role when he dropped out. The film could be a big move for Wahlberg, and one that allows him to blend his action persona with a more morally ambiguous role. It will be a tricky tonal balance for both director and star, however Play dirty May very well lead to Wahlberg being the first actor to play Parker more than once.

Source: Rotten tomatoes, The numbers