Mark Wahlberg Is Wicked Thin in the New Trailer for The Gambler

No, unfortunately The Gambler has nothing to do with Ben Affleck and casinos.

In this remake of the 1974 film of the same name, Mark Wahlberg stars as a literature professor with a gambling problem who gets mixed up with the likes of gangsters and other “bad” folk. Based on what’s seen here, it looks like John Goodman plays the ringleader of said gangsters, Jessica Lange is the heartfelt mother, and Brie Larson is the love interest.

Hitting theaters right on time with other Best Picture-worthy films, Wahlberg is probably striving for his Oscar here. The Gambler is a drama pic, and the actor dropped just short of 40 pounds for the role, something we noticed when he was spotted on the set of the movie last winter. Losing weight for a role sometimes falls into a form of method acting—a la Matthew McConaughey’s 47-pound drop for his Oscar-winning role in Dallas Buyers Club—and is supposed to establish pathos as an actor. And it works, especially with the Academy.

Welcome to pre-award season buzz, folks. It’s almost in full swing.