Wahlberg Adds New Meat to Jackson’s Lovely Bones

It looks like Ryan Gosling will be hitting the treadmill a little sooner than anticipated.

Variety reports that Gosling — who packed on pounds and put away his razor for his role in the Peter Jackson-directed adaptation of Alice Sebold’s The Lovely Bones — exited the production the day before filming began, and has been replaced by Mark Wahlberg. From the article:

Wahlberg has taken the role of Jack Salmon, the grieving father of a young girl. That role was vacated Friday by “Lars and the Real Girl” star Ryan Gosling, who stepped out after gaining 20 pounds and growing a beard for the job. Sources attributed the exit to creative differences.

After reading the script, Wahlberg quickly committed Sunday. He joins Rachel Weisz as a couple whose world is shattered after their daughter is murdered. The girl watches over her family and her killer from heaven. Jackson wrote the script with Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens.

This news is unexpected, to say the least — it was just two weeks ago that RT’s own Fred Topel talked to Gosling about his preparation for the role and his admiration for Peter Jackson.

Shooting is underway in Philadelphia, where Wahlberg recently starred in The Happening for M. Night Shyamalan. After finishing Bones, Wahlberg is set to appear opposite Brad Pitt in Darren Aronofsky’s The Fighter — capping a five-year stretch in which the erstwhile underwear model and Funky Bunch leader will have worked with Aronofsky, Jackson, Shyamalan, and Martin Scorsese. God bless America.

Source: www.cinema-pedia.com