While Rise of the Planet of the Apes director Rupert Wyatt may not have stuck around to direct the sequel, he’s managed to keep busy with The Gambler, a remake of the 1974 film about a college professor with a serious gambling addiction and an ever-growing mountain of debt. The script comes from The Departed writer William Monahan, and features Mark Wahlberg in the role originally played by James Caan.
Check out The Gambler trailer below, courtesy of the folks over at Grantland.
With a supporting cast that also includes John Goodman, Jessica Lange, Michael K. Williams and Brie Larson, The Gambler certainly arrives with a solid pedigree. But will Wyatt bring enough to the table to make this story worth revisiting after 40 years? We’ll find out when The Gambler opens on December 19.
Jim Bennett (Academy Award® nominee Mark Wahlberg) is a risk taker. Both an English professor and a high-stakes gambler, Bennett bets it all when he borrows from a gangster (Michael Kenneth Williams) and offers his own life as collateral. Always one step ahead, Bennett pits his creditor against the operator of a gambling ring (Alvin Ing) and leaves his dysfunctional relationship with his wealthy mother (Academy Award® winner Jessica Lange) in his wake. He plays both sides, immersing himself in an illicit, underground world while garnering the attention of Frank (John Goodman), a loan shark with a paternal interest in Bennett’s future. As his relationship with a student (Brie Larson) deepens, Bennett must take the ultimate risk for a second chance…
brie larson jessica lange john goodman mark wahlberg the gambler