‘The Gambler’ trailer: Mark Wahlberg pushes his luck

In a film titled “The Gambler,” it should come as no surprise that Mark Wahlberg’s lead character is a guy who likes to roll the dice. But as a newly released trailer indicates, he’s less interested in playing with stacks of bills than he is with his entire life of privilege.

Directed by Rupert Wyatt (“Rise of the Planet of the Apes”) from a screenplay by William Monahan (“The Departed”), “The Gambler” tells the story of Jim Bennett (Wahlberg), an English professor who seemingly has everything: “Birth, education, intelligence, talent, looks,” as John Goodman’s loan shark summarizes.

But in spite of his good fortune, or more likely because of it, Bennett has a nihilistic, self-destructive streak that manifests in a double life as a high-stakes gambler.

The trailer, above, finds him rather blase as he clashes with his wealthy mother (Jessica Lange), borrows from a gangster (Michael Kenneth Williams), gets mixed up with the operator of a gambling ring (Alvin Ing) and begins to fall for a student (Brie Larson).

An update of writer James Toback and director Karel Reisz’s bleak 1974 film starring James Caan, “The Gambler” looks to give Wahlberg an opportunity to show off his dramatic chops after a recent string of more action-oriented and comedic fare such as “Transformers: Age of Extinction,” “Lone Survivor,” “Pain & Gain” and “Ted.”

“The Gambler” is set to make its world premiere at AFI Fest in Hollywood on Nov. 10. Paramount Pictures will release the film Dec. 19.

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