Mark Wahlberg is reportedly set to star in "Six Billion Dollar Man," a film adaptation of the classic 1970s television series, which is slated for release on Dec. 22, 2017, The Weinstein Company-Dimension announced on Monday, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Damian Szifron, who wrote and directed Argentina's Oscar foreign-language nominee "Wild Tales," wrote the screenplay and has now been confirmed to replace Peter Berg as the director.
Filming for "Six Billion Dollar Man" will begin in September 2016. The film follows the story of a military officer, Steve Austin (Mark Wahlberg), who becomes a part of a highly classified government program after a horrific accident leaves him for dead. He is brought back to life with the help of cutting-edge technology as the world's first bionic man, who possesses extraordinary powers and abilities.
"I'm thrilled to assemble 'The Six Billion Dollar Man' for the big screen with the likes of Bob Weinstein and Damián Szifron," Wahlberg said, according to IGN. "We look forward to creating a Steve Austin for the 21st century."
"We are excited to release the film during the holidays to bring audiences an explosive reimagining of this cultural icon," said TWC and Dimension co-chairman Bob Weinstein.
"Writing the screenplay was such a fantastic ride and embarking on this journey with Mark, Bob and Stephen to take this story to a whole new level is simply spectacular," added Szifron. "Growing up, these kinds of films left an indelible mark on me and now it feels so good to be making one."
Matthew Signer, executive vice president of production and creative affairs, as well as Keith Levine, senior vice president of production and development, will oversee production for TWC-Dimension, according to The Wrap.
