While most associate Mark Wahlberg with high-octane action movies or comedies with talking teddy bears, the actor can stretch his dramatic chops as well, and he'll be doing just that in the upcoming Joe Bell, a drama about a father who walks across America to honour his bullied gay son.
Directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green from a script by Diana Ossana and Larry McMurty, Joe Bell was picked up by Solstice Studios for $20 million after its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival last year, but Deadline has reported that the film has now been acquired for theatrical release by Roadside Attractions, with Vertical Entertainment handling the digital release. Joe Bell has now been slated for July 23rd release. Based on the heartbreaking real-life story, the film finds Mark Wahlberg playing a "rough-edged Oregon-based father who pays tribute to his gay teenage son Jadin by embarking on a walk across America to speak his heart to heartland adults and students about the potential terrifying high costs of bullying." In a statement, Mark Wahlberg said, "With movie theaters reopening, we are excited to partner with exhibitors to bring the extraordinary story of Joe Bell and his son Jadin to audiences around the country." Roadside Attractions co-presidents Eric d'Arbeloff and Howard Cohen added:
As parents and members of the LGBTQ+ community, we are thrilled that a star of Mark’s magnitude has chosen to share Joe Bell’s message of acceptance with filmgoers.
Our own Chris Bumbray caught the film at TIFF last year and walked away mighty impressed, calling it Mark Wahlberg's "most important film in years" that also happens to feature "one of his finest performances." You can check out the rest of Bumbray's review right here. In addition to Joe Bell, Mark Wahlberg will next be seen in Antoine Fuqua's Infinite, a sci-fi action where he plays a man who discovers that his hallucinations are actually visions from past lives. The film is slated to be released on the Paramount+ streaming service next month. Wahlberg is also starring alongside Tom Holland in Uncharted, which will hit theaters on February 18, 2022.
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