Wahlberg and Shyamalan to Team Up

Mark Wahlberg has signed on to M. Knight Shyamalan's new thriller 'The Happening'.

Wahlberg will play Elliot Moore in a story about a family on the run from an apocalyptic threat to humanity. Shyamalan wrote the original screenplay, and produces with Sam Mercer and Barry Mendel.

"Mark has a unique blend of charisma, humanity, authenticity and skillfulness as an actor," Shyamalan said in a statement. "All of which coalesced at this moment in his career, making him the perfect person to take on the role of Eliot Moore, the science teacher at the center of this event."

Production is set to begin in August in Philadelphia, with a release date slated for June 2008.

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Don't Get on Wahlberg's Bad Side

Mark Wahlberg really can shoot a gun. Just ask the poor intern on a Canadian talk show who became a moving target to show off Marky Mark's skills.

The star was promoting new movie Shooter, in which he plays a sniper, when TV hosts challenged his marksmanship - and turned a lowly crew member into a moving target.

Wahlberg says, "They said, `You can't really shoot and they gave me a paintball gun and they put this poor intern, like, 30 feet away from me with very flimsy padding, and they were like, `OK, you can shoot him anywhere you want.' I shot him in the chin, the paint went right through the mask. This poor kid was lit up like a Christmas tree."

Sharp-shooting Wahlberg actually trained with real-life snipers as part of his preparation for the film.

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Gratuitous Mark Wahlberg Pic

Mark Wahlberg out and about in LA, stopping to sign an autograph for a fan. What a guy....

Photo: People.com

Wahlberg and Scorsese Team Up for HBO Series

After their separate and mutual successes with 'Entourage' and 'The Departed' respectively, Mark Wahlberg and Martin Scorsese are set to team up once again. This time they will be working on a new drama series for HBO about the development of Atlantic City. The project will be based on the book "Boardwalk Empire: The Birth, High Times, and Corruption of Atlantic City" by Nelson Johnson.

According to the book's official description, "Boardwalk" chronicles Atlantic City "from its birth as a quiet seaside health resort, through the notorious backroom politics and power struggles, to the city's rebirth as an entertainment and gambling mecca where anything goes."

Wahlberg and Scorsese will serve as executive producers on the series.

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Wahlberg and Phoenix Were Original Gay Cowboys

Mark Wahlberg and Joaquin Phoenix were the original lead contenders for 'Brokeback Mountain', but Wahlberg admits he was glad when filmmaker Ang Lee passed him over, because he "was creeped out by the script."

Wahlberg explains, "I met with Ang Lee on that movie, I read 15 pages of the script and got a little creeped out. It was very graphic, descriptive - the spitting on the hand, getting ready to do the thing. I told Ang Lee, 'I like you, you're a talented guy, if you want to talk about it more...' Thankfully, he didn't."

Marky Mark admits that both he and Joaquin were uncomfortable with the male on male tent sex scenes. He is happy with how it all ultimately turned out, however.

He adds, "I didn't rush to see 'Brokeback,' it's just not my deal... Obviously, it was done in taste - look how it was received."

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Wahlberg and Damon Reunite in 'The Fighter'

'The Departed' co-stars Matt Damon and Mark Wahlberg are to be reunited in the upcoming flick 'The Fighter', about boxing.

The film is based on a true story about two boxers, ‘Irish’ Mickey Ward (Wahlberg) and half-brother Dicky Eklund (Damon). The movie will follow Eklund, throwing away his own boxing career after being thrown in jail for drugs; his younger brother Ward, quitting his career when he was 26-years-old after some brutal bouts; and Eklund’s encouragement of Ward to get back in the game, and coaching him to eventually become a lightweight champion, after he was released.

Wahlberg says he's been wanting to do a movie about boxing his entire career. “It’s something I’m very excited about.”

Matt Damon beat out Wahlberg's brother Donnie for the role.

No director has been tapped for the project, but Wahlberg wants Martin Scorsese, who directed 'The Departed'.

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Wahlberg and Johannson are NOT a Couple

Photo: E!Online
Imagine my surprise when I clicked to Planet Gossip last night, and there is Marc Malkin screaming to the Heavens that Wahlberg and Johannson ARE NOT a couple. What?

Have I been sleeping? Too busy looking at naked Harry Potter pictures? Slow on the uptake?

Apparently a couple of picturs of Scarlett and Marky Mark surfaced over the weekend (which I missed) of the two of them doing lunch. Johansson's rep burned up the phone wires to get the word out that "It's just business!" "A meeting for a potential project."

Phew! My life can go on now.