Ted and Mark Wahlberg present at the Oscars.
Ted and Mark Wahlberg present at the Oscars. (PRNewsFoto/Tippett Studio, Universal Pictures)

The American actor will star as a man of letters with a gambling problem in a remake of the 1974 film, Deadline.com reports.

Loosely based on the short story of the same title by Fyodor Dostoyevksy, the 1974 film starred James Caan in the role of Alex Freed, a professor who develops a crippling gambling addiction. The plot follows the protagonist as his compulsion for high-stakes gaming destroys his relationships and his self-worth. The original film was directed by Czech filmmaker Karel Reisz.

In the forthcoming reboot of "The Gambler," Mark Wahlberg will play the titular high roller under the direction of Rupert Wyatt ("Rise of the Planet of the Apes"). William Monahan, a writer known for his contributions to "The Departed" and "Oblivion," will provide the screenplay.