MARK WAHLBERG IN INFINITE

BY: Amanda Jane Stern

What would you do if you learned that this life was not your only one? That you had, in fact, been reincarnated time and time again? Would that make a difference in how you chose to spend this life? Would you become more reckless knowing that when you die you will just be born again? Mark Wahlberg stars in the upcoming science-fiction action film, Infinite, as Evan McCauley, a schizophrenic man plagued by intense hallucinations. Except, it turns out these visions aren’t hallucinations at all but glimpses of his past lives, lives he didn’t know he had. Now, he must tap into the skills and join a group known as the Infinite, made up of people like him who also remember their past lives. With their help, he relearns the skills he once had to help save humanity from extinction. Or are the Infinite actually the bad guys? The trailer certainly leaves that open ended. 

Infinite is based on D. Eric Maikranz’s 2009 novel The Reincarnationist Papers. Ian Shorr and Todd Stein adapted the novel for the screen with a script that has been described as Wanted meets The Matrix, and Antoine Fuqua directed the project. The film has an absolutely stacked cast of A-list talent that, in addition to Wahlberg, includes Chiwetel Ejiofor, Dylan O’Brien, Sophie Cookson, Jason Mantzoukas, and Rupert Friend. Infinite has been in development with Paramount since 2017, when Chris Evans was initially supposed to star as Evan McCauley. Evans had to drop out of the project due to scheduling conflicts with his limited series Defending Jacob, and Wahlberg was brought in to replace him.

The film was supposed to be theatrically released on August 7, 2020. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, that date was pushed back to May 28, 2021 and then again to September 24, 2021. Finally, Paramount decided to scrap the film’s theatrical release altogether and instead release it solely on Paramount+ on June 10, 2021.