“Play Dirty” is almost here.
The new Prime Video thriller, directed and co-written by Shane Black and starring Mark Wahlberg as the iconic crime fiction tough guy Parker, arrives on Prime Video on October 1. But to tide us over for the next month and change, we have the pulse-pounding new trailer that you can watch it below.
Wahlberg plays Parker, a “master thief” (according to the official synopsis) who, “along with Grofield (LaKeith Stanfield), Zen (Rosa Salazar) and a skilled crew, stumble onto a score that pits them against the New York mob in this gritty, clever caper.” Dermot Mulroney, Tony Shalhoub, Keegan-Michael Key, Nat Wolff, Chukwudi Iwuji and Thomas Jane also star.
Parker, crime fans will know, is the non-nonsense master criminal created by thriller writer Donald E. Westlake under the pen name Richard Stark, who appeared in more than 20 novels. The character has been adapted for film 7 times over the decades, first by Lee Marvin in “Point Blank” with other adaptations starting Jim Brown, Robert Duvall, Peter Coyote, Mel Gibson and, most recently, Jason Statham.
Before Wahlberg joined the project, Black’s friend and occasional collaborator Robert Downey Jr. was earmarked to play the character and remains on as an executive producer, with his wife and creative partner Susan Downey serving as producer. Black wrote the screenplay for “Play Dirty” with Charles Mondry and Anthony Bagarozzi.
“Play Dirty” marks Black’s first directorial outing since 2018’s failed reboot “The Predator.” Before that he made 2016’s period detective “The Nice Guys” with Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe, which has since gone on to become a cult favorite, and 2013’s “Iron Man 3,” which made more than $1.21 billion globally.
Black made his mark before that as one of Hollywood’s highest paid screenwriters, penning high concept actioners like “Lethal Weapon,” “The Last Boy Scout” and “The Long Kiss Goodnight.” His first film as a director was 2005’s “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang,” which starred Downey and Val Kilmer. It’s good to have Black back.
“Play Dirty” arrives on Prime Video on Oct. 1.
