Finally, A Movie Starring Mark Wahlberg As A Degenerate Gambler Who Has Sex With Coeds? YES PLEASE!

Fun factoid I learned the other day: The highs and lows of gambling affect your brain in the same way that euphoria-inducing drugs do. So when you’re winning (or losing) in gambling, you’re basically doing the same thing to your neural pathways as lines of cocaine, which is why the rollercoaster of a casino trip is so damn fun, but can be so damn soul-crushing. Mark Wahlberg seems like the type of guy who likes to throw a little money around, so I imagine nailing his role in the forthcoming Paramount feature The Gambler wasn’t all that hard. The movie is a “loose” remake of the 1974 film of the same name. It’s about an English professor in L.A. who just can’t stop taking those trips out to Vegas to throw his life away at the blackjack or roulette table. His journey into maddening disfunction includes visits with Michael Kenneth Williams as a gangster funding his payroll and John Goodman as a loan shark. Brie Larson also plays one of his students that, of course, he eventually starts having sex with on the reg. Something’s got to keep him together, after all. Here’s the “official” synopsis:

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…

I’m the most excited for the scenes of Marky Marky  as an English prof teaching Intro to American Lit 101.  Imagine a guy who once dressed like this in his Funky Bunch days teaching Slaughterhouse-Five.

The Gambler has a limited release in the U.S. on December 19th, 2014 and goes nation-wide in January 2015.

Brandon Wenerd is BroBible's publisher, writing on this site since 2009. He writes about sports, music, men's fashion, outdoor gear, traveling, skiing, and epic adventures. Based in Los Angeles, he also enjoys interviewing athletes and entertainers. Proud Penn State alum, former New Yorker. Email: brandon@brobible.com