Summary

Mark Wahlberg’sPlay Dirtycan last launch a dealership that three of his biggest carbon monoxide gas - stars failed to . When Wahlberg made the improbable electric switch from doorknocker to movie star , he was balance acclaimed dramas likeBoogie Nightswith B - movies likeThe Corrupter . Mark Wahlberg action moviessoon became a subgenre unto themselves and while in late years he ’s gravitated more towards family - friendly undertaking likeArthur the King , he ’ll still douse back into R - blackleg action at law on occasion .

On that front , Wahlberg has two illustrious task on the fashion . The first isFlight peril , where Wahlberg demand on a rare villain role as a gunman posing as a fender and attempting to vote down a federal witness . Flight Riskis also helm by hisDaddy ’s Home 2co - star Mel Gibson , marking the latter ’s first directorial cause since 2016’sHacksaw Ridge . Wahlberg also has heist moviePlay Dirtyfrom managing director Shane Blackon the horizon , stray the star as a vicious stealer trying to pull off a big mark .

Mark Wahlberg’s Play Dirty Adapts The Parker Crime Novel Series

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

EveryParkerMovie Adaptation

Book Adapted

Lead Actor

Mark Walhberg as Swagger in army camo face paint and looking out of a window intensely in Shooter

Made in USA(1966 )

The Jugger(1965 )

Anna Karina as Paula Nelson

Belle looking shocked with her hands over her mouth in Beauty and the Beast

Point Blank(1967 )

The Hunter(1962 )

Lee Marvin as Walker

John Wayne’s 3D Western With 90% On RT Is One Of His Best Action Movies

Pillaged(1967 )

The Score(1964 )

Michel Constantin as Georges

Wahlberg from Mile 22 with Mel Gibson’s Porter from Payback and Jason Statham as Parker.

Custom image by Yeider Chacon

The Split(1968 )

The Seventh(1966 )

Jim Brown as McClain

Mark Wahlberg in The Italian Job against a money background

Custom Image by Debanjana Chowdhury

The Outfit(1973 )

The Outfit(1963 )

Robert Duvall as Earl Macklin

Mel Gibson firing a gun in Payback

Slayground(1983 )

Slayground(1971 )

Peter Coyote as Stone

Staff Sergeant Dignam (Mark Wahlberg) prepares to shoot someone offscreen in the ending of The Departed.

Payback(1999 )

Mel Gibson as Porter

Parker(2013 )

A photo of actor Mark Wahlberg at a screening of Arthur The King

Play Dirty is a film adaptation centered on Parker, a professional thief character created by Donald E. Westlake. The movie intricately explores Parker’s criminal pursuits, drawing from Westlake’s renowned literary creation.

Flashfire(2000 )

Jason Statham as Parker

Play ill-gotten ( 2025 )

Headshot Of LaKeith Stanfield

N / A

Mark Wahlberg as Parker

WhilePlay Dirtydoesn’t come out to be adapting a particular Word , it ’s found on the cultParkernovel seriesfrom Donald E. Westlake . The first novelThe Hunterfollowed Parker as he sought revenge against those who betrayed him follow a heist gone wrong - including his wife . The book ’s inexorable pace , punchy writing and amoral anti - submarine sandwich made it a surprisal smash , and Westlake went on to compose over 20 novels featuring the character before his passing in 2008 .

Headshot Of Rosa Salazar

If the fibre sounds intimate , that ’s becauseJason Statham failed to set in motion aParker franchisefollowing the 2013 thriller of the same name . Shane Black is a noted buff of old pulp magazine paperback book - asKiss Kiss Bang Bangor his Amazon pilotEdgeshould prove - and there could n’t be a good manager to bring Parker back to life . While Parker is n’t exactly a monster , he is borderline sociopathic and willing to hurt or kill anyone who induce in the way of his goal .

Donald E. Westlake penned theParkernovels under the penitentiary name " Richard Stark , " which was a guileful reference work to the skimpy , barren committal to writing style of the series .

AssumingPlay Dirtystays truthful to the quality , the picture show andFlight Riskcould signalize a move into sinister roles for Wahlbergin future . TheParkerbooks have been adapted many metre too , with the most famous beingThe HunteradaptationPoint Blackfrom 1967 with Lee Marvin . Nearly all of those picture show sanded the harder edge off the thief , so it will be interesting to see just how rough Parker will be in Wahlberg ’s hands .

Headshot Of Dermot Mulroney In The Variety 2023 Power Of Young Hollywood

Several Of Wahlberg’s Co-Stars Have Played Parker Onscreen

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

Three of Mark Wahlberg ’s former cobalt - stars have played version of Parker , including Robert Duvall in The Outfit , Mel Gibson in Payback and Jason Statham in Parker .

Westlake may have optioned books likeThe Hunterto manufacturer , but unless they accord to make a series of films , he turn down to let them use the name Parker too . That ’s why Marvin’sPoint Blackprotagonist was rename " Walker , " for instance . Statham’sParkerwas the first clip an try was truly made to work up a series of flick , but the film was a corner - office disappointment . In sum , three of Wahlberg ’s former conscientious objector - stars have play versions of Parker , let in Robert Duvall in 1973’sThe Outfit , Mel Gibson inPaybackand Statham inParker .

Wahlberg and Duvall work together inWe Own The Night , Statham was his co - star inThe Italian Jobwhile he and Gibson have worked together several times . Of those three actors , it appear only Statham ’s take was make with sequel in mind . Even so , hadPaybackbeen a bigger hit in 1999 , it ’s well-fixed to see Warner Bros nudge Gibson towards a sequel . The thirdParkerbookThe Outfitis a direct sequel toThe Hunterand would have made a with child starting item for aPaybacksequel .

Movies

Paybackdirector Brian Helgeland was removed from the project during post - production by Gibson after refusing to helm reshoots to total military action scenes and make Porter more benevolent ; Helgeland ’s Director ’s CutPayback : Straight Uplater get in in 2006 .

The Outfitalso served as the source novel for the 1973 Robert Duvall movie of the same name . consider franchise were few and far between during this time , it ’s dubious anyone postulate - including Duvall - gave much sentiment to anOutfitsequel . The Statham , Gibson and Duvall movies all had challenging spins on Parker as a character too ; Statham ’s Parker was tweaked to fit his action at law persona , whereas Gibson ’s Porter could be violent and tough but he also had a sense of humour and a wild-eyed subplot .

Why None Of The Past Parker Movies Have Spawned A Franchise

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

Just like Statham’sParkerbefore it , meet Dirtyis being fix up with a potential serial in mind . Despite being base on a democratic series of crime Word of God , Parker as a type is a tough sell to mainstream audiences . InThe Hunter , he ’s practically the Terminator , punch and shooting his way through the criminal netherworld to recover a comparatively modest amount of money . There is even a passage where he accidentally kills an guiltless woman , but instead of feeling guilt or shame , he ’s irritated with himself for let such an unprofessional thing happen .

Payback was advantageously receive and come during the film star peak of Gibson ’s life history , but unlike the Lethal Weapon saga , the motion picture and the character were too edgy to draw audiences back for more .

Audiences might be drawn to anti - heroes , butParker is so insensate and humorless that softening him for a movie version is almost essential . The Statham moving picture did n’t land a sequel because it get a tepid decisive response ( remain firm at 41 % onRotten Tomatoes ) and earned just over $ 46 million worldwide . The celluloid did n’t do jurist to the character either , and more than that , felt like any issue of action programmers the genius fronted around this period likeSafe .

Mark Wahlberg

Mark Wahlberg ’s 2007 military activeness motion picture is becoming a streaming strike on Paramount+ 17 year after it ab initio experience mixed reviews from critics .

Paybackwas well received and came during Gibson ’s pic headliner peak , but unlike theLethal Weaponsaga , the film and Porter were just too edgy to attract audience back for more . The same is true for Duvall’sThe Outfit , and even if this sturdy thriller had been an oversized success , the odds of a follow - up were always slender .

Play Dirty Could Be The Movie That Finally Cracks The Character

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

small has been uncover aboutPlay Dirtyso far , including how accurate it will be to Westlake ’s work . give that Black is such a devotee of the serial , it ’s in question he would be aiming to make a menage - friendly , PG-13 Riffian on the property . Black has such a giving for character and natural action thatPlay Dirtyhas every luck of being a successwhen it arrives . The author / managing director has also proven fourth dimension and again with screenplay likeLethal WeaponorThe Last male child spotter that he can compose flawed , sometimes unlikeable protagonists that viewers can still root for .

bid Dirtywas to begin with developed with Robert Downey Jr in brain , with Wahlberg stepping into the Parker role when he dropped out . The motion picture could be a great move for Wahlberg , and one that reserve him to merge his action persona with a more virtuously ambiguous role . It will be a slippery tonal equipoise for both film director and superstar , butPlay Dirtycould very well lead to Wahlberg being the first actor to bet Parker more than once .

Source : Rotten Tomatoes , The Numbers

Cast

act Dirty is a film adaptation centered on Parker , a professional thief quality create by Donald E. Westlake . The motion-picture show intricately search Parker ’s condemnable pursuits , drawing from Westlake ’s famed literary creation .