Mark Wahlberg joins Netflix's next action film as CIA's elite 'clean-up professional' — here's what we know
There's something special about Mark Wahlberg playing a former military operative embroiled in a special ops-type conflict. Not only does the 'Lone Survivor' star wield a gun exceptionally well on screen, but he also convincingly portrays the ideal action hero taking on a disproportionate share of villains. And with this in mind, Wahlberg is all set to come on board Netflix's upcoming action film 'The Operator'.
As per a ScreenRant report, 'The Operator' was acquired by the streaming platform giant following a pitched bidding battle. The project, until its acquisition by Netflix, had been making the rounds as a spec script penned by writer Harrison Query. The writer behind the Amazon Prime Video action-comedy 'Heads of State' starring John Cena and Idris Elba, Query currently has his hands full with his upcoming 'Trigger Point' on Netflix starring Joel Edgerton in a former CIA operatives turned private military contractors caper.
'The Operator' will be produced jointly by Wahlberg himself and his long-time associate Stephen Levinson under the banner of their Municipal Pictures, as per a Deadline report. The duo had previously worked on 'Me Time', 'Spenser Confidential', and 'The Union' for the streaming platform. Despite stellar performances, these three films failed to live up to box office expectations, with reviews on Rotten Tomatoes being equally discouraging. Also acting as co-producers are Andrew Rona and Alex Heineman of The Picture Company, alongside 12:01 Films represented by Scott Glassgold. Query has been roped in as the executive producer of the film, which is yet to finalize a director.
Although there wasn't any potential release window for 'The Operator' at the time of writing this article, Cinema Express revealed a few details about the film's plot. Wahlberg would be playing a former member of the Special Forces whose job is that of a 'cleaner' for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Things heat up when he is assigned a mission to protect that one target whom he hates with all his heart. The resultant conflict soon turns into a tense game of cat and mouse that has Wahlberg's character struggling for his own survival.
Apart from the project in question, Query recently pitched and sold a short story ('Code Black') to Amazon MGM Studios, one that is on its way to becoming a film with Jake Gyllenhaal in the lead. He's also the Executive Producer and co-creator of an upcoming Paramount+ limited series about JonBenét Ramsey from 101 Studios. Wahlberg's next slate of projects includes the action comedy 'Balls Up' from Amazon MGM Studios, Peacock's 'Ted: The Animated Series', and the crime thriller 'By Any Means'.
