What better way to spend your lunch break than with news about Mark Wahlberg? We couldn't think of anything, either.
The rumor mill is buzzing he's going to be in a new movie ... about the BP oil spill. That's ... different.
Although it's not confirmed, IMDb did put him on the movie page's "Cast" list. Outlets are still reporting he's "in talks" with Lionsgate.
But the headline from The A.V. Club took it a little further: "Mark Wahlberg to see if he could have stopped the BP oil spill"
That headline points to the "tough guy" reputation Wahlberg's built over the years. The actor's career has taken him across action and drama, though not always successfully. Most recently he starred in "Transformers,"which made money but didn't fly with critics. Yet, there was also "Lone Survivor," the true story of a group of soldiers in Afghanistan. (Videos via Universal Pictures / "Ted" | Paramount Pictures / "Transformers: Age of Extinction" | Universal Pictures / "Lone Survivor")
This movie will reportedly be based off the very real tragedy of the 2010 BP oil spill. The oil rig "Deepwater Horizon" exploded and eventually sank, although reports vary on how much oil ultimately spilled. Eleven crew members died in the explosion. (Video via CNN)
A writer for The Hollywood Reporter says Wahlberg would play "a manager on the rig who tries to save his men."
So the question becomes — what type of Wahlberg story will this movie be?
A commenter on The A.V. Club's article section said: "I think it's just two hours of Mark Wahlberg punching machinery."
But let's recall, Wahlberg IS an Oscar nominee — his performance in "The Departed" was unforgettable. (Video via Warner Bros. / "The Departed")
A writer for Screen Fury says this seems like a straight-as-they-come drama, and that could work. "The more genre-confined Mark Wahlberg films are, the better. ... Does this movie remind us of another Wahlberg flick Perfect Storm? A little bit, but hey, that was one of the good ones."
We think that was a long-winded compliment. Maybe.
This video contains photos from Getty Images.
