Mark Wahlberg To Star In "The Happening"Mark Wahlberg To Star In "The Happening"

Mark Wahlberg, recently nominated for an Academy Award for his performance as a Massachusetts detective in The Departed, has been cast as the lead in M. Night Shyamalan's upcoming The Happening.

Wahlberg's casting continues Night's tradition of casting a highly prominent and/or accomplished actor as the male lead in each of his major studio films. It's also possible that Wahlberg's involvement could have been influenced by the fact that his brother, Donnie Wahlberg, had a small role in Night's breakout film, The Sixth Sense.

Variety quotes Shyamalan as saying that "Mark has a unique blend of charisma, humanity, authenticity and skillfulness as an actor, 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."

The Happening is set to be released on June 13th, 2008. Yes, fellow Night fans, that's Friday the 13th.

Posted by Chris on Apr-04, 11:45 pm