When I saw this story yesterday, I thought it could be an April Fool’s joke because it sounded like a Mark Wahlberg cliché. The very idea of Mark Wahlberg producing a movie (starring Mark Wahlberg) about the 2013 Boston marathon seemed like a completely obnoxious thing that Mark Wahlberg would do. But this story is legit.
Mark will make a movie about the bombing and the aftermath. He will indeed produce and probably star as Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis. Never mind that the trial of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is still ongoing. Does that matter? Mark is from Boston, so I guess he feels like he’s the right dude to make this movie. I think the movie shouldn’t be made at all, at least not so soon.
Mark is notorious for his delusions of grandeur. Remember how he said he would have defeated the 9/11 terrorists? His ego has taken over another tragedy:
The story is envisioned as an intense thriller, spanning the five-day search up to the infamous siege where Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was pulled from a boat in Watertown. Three lost their lives at the Marathon blast site, 264 were injured, and a police officer was killed and several injured in the shootout that ended in the death of Tsarnaev’s older brother, Tamerlan. The younger mass murderer is currently on trial. Victims were eulogized in a touching ceremony at Fenway Park, something that most certainly will be part of each of those feature films, including an unforgettable exhortation of defiance by Red Sox slugger David Ortiz.
“There is nothing more compelling than a real story populated by real heroes,” said CBS Films President Terry Press. “The team that we have assembled for this project is determined to give audiences a very personal look at what occurred during the days when the eyes of the world were on the city of Boston and how a group of contemporary patriots faced this crisis.”
[From Deadline]
Deadline says that footage from this year’s Boston marathon (later this month) will be used in the film. This is a bad idea, and it feels like Mark is capitalizing on this tragedy and using it for his own ends. He probably thinks he’s doing something noble, sort of like when he thought a pardon for his crimes would inspire street youth. This movie will be another notch in his self-serving maneuver belt. Classic Marky Mark.
Photos courtesy of Pacific Coast News & WENN
After the huge success of American Sniper; I suspect a lot of people rushing to do stories that touch on the American Spirit so to speak.
I’m not a fan of Mark. So I avoid his movies.
Too soon, and unnecessary no matter what.
+1.
We don’t need to see another thriller involving the five day chase of these two guys, we all watched it already on 24 hour cable news when it happened.
+2. It was surreal and incredible to see on live television. A major city on lockdown hunting for two madmen, and ultimately cornering one. I think it’s too soon, especially given the fact that the trial is ongoing. And with the recent testimony detailing the horrific fatal injuries suffered by those who perished, and those who survived I hope there’s a special place in hell for that monster.
Yes, you can almost see the eyes lighting up at a tragedy with the thought that this will make a good movie. Gross.
Exactly, GNAT. FFS, is nothing safe from the avid, All-consuming appetites of the ravenous, amoral entertainment moguls? Give it a rest, you idget, give it some time, before you turn it into the Terrorist Chariots of Fire.
Absolutely; it’s grotesque. All the money in the world can’t compensate for this much lack of sensitivity. He’s going to play the Commissioner? Is this going to be all about the Wahlberg role — a guy just doing his job?
Absolutely too soon. I ran that year and crossed the finish line 3 minutes before the bombs so I might be a little more emotionally invested than I should be…the trial isn’t even over yet and he’s already trying to cash in on the story. Tasteless.
I know a few victims and they are PISSED.
None of them were consulted. And he’s quick to say Boston Strong and crap but he never once visited victims in the hospital like many other celebrities did.
They do not feel that he’ll be respectful at all since he has yet to show respect for the victims.
That’s interesting. I’d be curious to know if he’s done anything to help the victims, or if it’s all just PR.
If they must make a film about this, why not a documentary? Why not talk to the actual people, have them share their experience? Everything about this just feels wrong.
I find that terribly tasteless. Does he have no decency whatsoever? Why capitalizing on a tragedy like a greedy leech? I hope this movie doesn’t get made, and if it does, I hope it flops, and if it doesn’t, then I hope everybody involved in it choke on the money they will have made out of 3 dead people and 200+ wounded. Marky Mark should get lost. For real
Considering his nasty history, are you surprised? The guy was charged with attempted murder when he attacked those 2 Vietnamese guys.
And he also used to harass black school children. He’s not a good person at all and I don’t think he even feels sorry for all the racist crap he’s done
I don’t know why this is surprising. Hollywood has made movies about so many disasters/tragedies. 9/11, the Thailand tsunami, Pearl Harbor, Hindenburg, Zodiac, the Holocaust, etc etc etc. All real tragedies for real people. It might seem tacky and tasteless because it’s soon after the fact, but I think these movies, if done well, can be effective ways to humanize these events in history once the event itself is far gone.
Too soon? Yes, I think so but the story will be filmed at some point and I do prefer that it be done by someone local as opposed to people who don’t know and don’t get the city.
Wahlberg as Ed Davis though? Please spare us the obligatory coverage of the weight gain to play the part.
I do think the story will be told, too, at some point so I guess it makes sense that he as a local be involved.
If it is going to happen, I would like to see as many locals as possible involved. I wonder what Matt Damon’s thoughts on this are. His brother ran the race that day and Matt attended but was at Heartbreak Hill, not the finish line. Matt has written several essays for the local papers about how the day impacted him and his family.
I’d prefer a well done documentary over a movie. It is more likely to not be sensationalized and might actually give the facts. Plus then the actual locals and others that were there that day could give their stories.
There is a Nova-produced documentary that is really fascinating. Available on Netflix.
It’s waaaaay too soon! I remember it like it was yesterday.
I do think it’s too soon, but if they’re in the preliminary discussions about making it, the movie won’t be out for at least a few more years.
It was such an interesting story that I’m almost surprised it hasn’t been made into a movie yet. The city shut down, a door to door manhunt, etc.
Too soon. Weird to think he’s gonna be making money off so many people’s tragedy that’s still fresh in their mind
And in that last pic he’s looks like a grown up hasbeen version of bieber aka like a douche
Tasteless jingoism, but I’m not surprised coming from him.
+1!
I am no Mark Wahlberg fan, but, too soon? It probably will be a while before it is written, cast, and filmed, so I’m sure the trial will be over by then. I think this movie could be very inspiring! I remember the intense pride, I felt, when Boston shut down, and worked their tales off to capture these animals. Believe me, Hollywood, would get around to making this film sooner or later, and I would prefer (being from Boston) to have a Bostonian, make the movie. Although, I would rather have it be Damon and Affleck! I wouldn’t mind, Marky Mark, producing the movie, but I wish he would not cast himself in it…BOSTON STRONG
“Although, I would rather have it be Damon and Affleck! I wouldn’t mind, Marky Mark, producing the movie, but I wish he would not cast himself in it”
^^This so much.
I do not like the Wahlbergs (Jenny McCarthy included). I do not like the Kardashians. I suggest we sent all of these people to a deserted island and tell them they’re filmimg a Survivor type reality show. Then leave them there. Send no camera crews ever.
I’m trying to think if I ever liked him in anything I’ve seen him in. Ugh. He’s reallllllly not aging well, is he?
Yeah, I’m not a fan either. I think what’s least attractive about him is that he clearly thinks he is THE man. Ugh.
Donnie’s the cute one, am I right?
😜
He has this conceited, arrogant hero complex. He truly is unlikeable and I hope the movie does not get made out of respect to the victims and their families.
I could be in the minority, but I don’t even want to see this movie should it take 5 years to come out. It is a truly sad story, and what made it inspiring was the hundreds of people (if not thousands) who came together in the aftermath. The bombing and the chase are the parts I don’t want to watch.
But Wahlberg will make it like one guy is the macho hero.
He’ll probably make it so that he stopped the bombing from happening from the first place and then single-handedly chased the would-be perpetrators down.
I agree. I don’t like movies like this. When United 93 came out I refused to watch it. Too raw. I only recently just saw that movie when it was on cable. What’s next a movie about Sandy Hook?
There are a lot of really amazing stories that came out afterwards (my personal favorite being Meb Keflezighi writing the names of the 4 victims on his 2014 bib and using that inspiration to win) but the bombing itself is just tragic. Even the eventual apprehension of the younger Tsarnev brother is just sad, because it’s another life lost. I don’t want to watch that movie at all.
The first movie about 9/11 was released in 2002. It’s probably not too soon.
And no one went to see it because they felt it was too soon.
I can’t stand Mark Wahlberg, the end.
+1
If you ask me, it’s too soon for him to make ANY movie. Maybe consider not making any more.
I like Mark Wahlberg. I really do. However, his acting is limited and he tends to focus good movies away from being good movies. The movie Lone Survivor was good. However, if he didn’t have the role as the main character it could have been great. Ben Foster and Taylor Kitsch can act circles around them and having them the supporting guys was a bad move. Mark just made the movie into some Hollywood blockbuster action movie whereas it was that and also the drama. Mark just can’t pull it off. So I’m sure the Boston Marathon movie will be a little of the same. Is it his ego? He was great in The Fighter with Christian Bale. Is that because Bale is so much better than Wahlberg he didn’t try so hard? Dunno.
Why does Hollywood have to make money off of any tragedy they can?