At this point, Mark Wahlberg‘s Hollywood persona has as much variety as Dwayne Johnson‘s. Wahlberg effectively plays himself in every movie, whether it’s a thriller, an action comedy, or a drama of some kind. Is it boring? More than a little; the days of Wahlberg taking on more challenging roles like Dirk Diggler or Sgt. Dignam looks to be over.
But maybe the upcoming “The Family Plan” will give the actor something a little different, or perhaps his new co-star will. Deadline reports Michelle Monaghan joins Wahlberg for the upcoming action comedy from Apple Original Films and Skydance. The film follows Wahlberg as a suburban dad who takes his family on the run when his past catches up with him. So, what’s the deal — did Wahlberg’s character used to be in the mob, or is he in a witness protection program or what? Plot details are slim at the moment, but it sure sounds like a Mark Wahlberg vehicle.
There’s also no word about who Monaghan plays in “The Family Plan,” but expect her to play Wahlberg’s wife. Monaghan has had a busy 2022 so far. She stars in the Sundance horror thriller “Nanny,” out on Prime Video on December 16. She also starred in the Australian-American thriller “Black Site” in May. As for TV, she stars in the Netflix drama “Echoes” in the main role. Upcoming roles beyond “The Family Plan” include Apple TV+‘s “Bad Monkey,” Timothy Scott Bogart‘s biopic about his disco producer legend father, and the thriller “Blood.”
Simon Cellan Jones, who directs Wahlberg in the upcoming “Arthur The King,” is behind the camera for “The Family Plan.” “Orphan: First Kill” scribe David Coggeshall pens the script. Expect a late 2023 release for the film.
So, will Wahlberg and Monaghan outrun the past in “The Family Plan”? The pair worked together in 2016’s “Patriot’s Day,” but that’s a very different movie than this upcoming comedy. Stay tuned for more casting news about this one.