Mark Wahlberg Is Your New Steve Austin
No, WWE fans, Mark Wahlberg is not about to shave his head and star in an Oscar-bait biopic on the life and times of “Stone Cold” Steve Austin that will be directed by Martin Scorsese. Wahlberg is set to play pop culture’s original Steve Austin, aka “The Six Million Dollar Man.”
Re-teaming with his Lone Survivor director, Peter Berg, Wahlberg will play the character made famous on the 70s TV show. Of course, that series was called The Six Million Dollar Man, but in today’s economy…that kind of money will barely get you a bionic elbow. The film will be called The Six Billion Dollar Man.
I picture Doctor Evil making the announcement.
The series was loosely based on Cyborg, the sci-fi novel by Martin Caidin. It tells the story of Austin, a former astronaut that nearly dies in a plane crash, who is then brought back to life with much of his body bionically altered- which gives him great abilities. As part of the deal that grants him this new lease on life, he becomes a Special Agent for the Office of Scientific Intelligence.
The movie would film next year, with a 2016 release being the goal.
SOURCE: Deadline