Mark Wahlberg has pulled out of starring in David O'Russell's follow up gig to The Fighter, The Silver Linings Handbook, and been replaced by Bradley Cooper, reports Deadline.
Jennifer Lawrence had joined the project as the female lead, but her work on The Hunger Games pushed production back a few months which forced Wahlberg to pull out. He has apparently committed to another film - Broken City - and a choice had to be made. Other actors being circled for roles include Robert De Niro and Angelina Jolie - with the former more likely to sign on than the latter. The film will be based on Matthew Quick's novel, where a former mental patient thinks his life is a movie produced by God and his God-given mission is "to become physically fit and emotionally literate."
Sounds like a cracking idea and right up O'Russell's street. But if it's anything like that steaming pile of pretentious sh*te I Heart Huckabees, then I don't care how awesome the cast is or how interesting sounding the plot. Still, Three Kings was pretty damn excellent and I enjoyed The Fighter.
