Mark Wahlberg Becomes a ‘Six Billion Dollar Man’
“The Six Million Dollar Man” is returning as a billionaire!
The “Six Million Dollar Man” will be returning and this time to the big screen with a big name attached. Mark Wahlberg will reprise the legendary role of Steve Austin in the Hollywood reboot titled the “Six Billion Dollar Man” (as expected from our reports last year) slated to be released Dec 22, 2017. The new movie will be penned and directed by Damiàn Szifron. Mark Wahlberg, Stephen Levinson, and Bob Weinstein are producing the film with production set to start September 2016.
The “Six Million Dollar Man” (Bionics were cheaper back then) was a pretty popular ABC TV series that garnered three television movies and five seasons (1974 – 1978). It tells the tale of a former astronaut who receives bionic implants and goes on to have a multitude of adventures. The story was originally adapted from a Martin Caidin novel “Cyborg” and went on to have a pretty large following as its film and TV run can attest to. In 1976 it even got a spin off in the form of “The Bionic Woman” which garnered an impressive following in its own right.
Every time I whine to the heavens about yet another remake or reboot or spinoff I am always deterred by the intrigue of seeing a classic in my day and age with my favorite actors/actresses. This is no different. I crave originality but find myself welcoming the consumption of every retread thrown my way.
Lee Majors starred as Steve Austin in the original and I believe handing the reigns over to someone as talented and equipped as Mark Wahlberg is a smart idea. The guy has range and can kick Major butt (not Majors, no one is touching my homeboy Lee) with just his God given attributes. Imagine what he can do with man-made augmentations! So once again I find myself ready and waiting for something redone.
So Fad Fans what do you think? Ready for “The Six Billion Dollar Man” and yet another reboot in this time of the bionic assortment? Or should the studios have let this one die on the operating table and save the six million/billion for another project? (Pun sadly intended.)
This was first reported by Variety.
