29 Apr – Paramount Pictures is in negotiations for what could be the dramatic screen-starring debut of Justin Bieber alongside Mark Wahlberg, reports MovieWeb. The 17-year-old teen pop idol is said to act with "The Fighter" actor Mark Wahlberg in an untitled drama that will revolve around street basketball that gives Bieber the chance to show off his hoops skills. The tone of the project is described as "The Basketball Diaries" meets "The Karate Kid", and it came out of Wahlberg and producer Stephen Levinson after seeing Bieber play ball in February during a celebrity game held during NBA All-Star Game weekend.
"Well, we're putting it together. Yeah, we're doing it at Paramount. We pitched them the idea, and we talked to him about doing it and he loved the idea. He sent me a video of himself and yeah, I think he's really talented," said Wahlberg to the Vulture website. Bieber's recent biopic film minted money for Paramount. Made on a US$13 million budget, "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never" grossed US$97 million worldwide. Wahlberg and Stephen Levinson will produce with Bieber's manager, Scooter Braun.
The script will be written by Ian Edelman, creator of "How To Make It In America", the same HBO series that is produced by Wahlberg and Levinson, who also hold the same titles for "Entourage" and "Broadwalk Empire". However, no tentative date has been set either for the production or the release date as of yet.