LaKeith Stanfield joins Mark Wahlberg in Shane Black’s Play Dirty

THR reports that LaKeith Stanfield will star alongside Mark Wahlberg in Play Dirty, an adaptation of Donald R. Westlake’s Parker novels which will be directed by Shane Black.

Play Dirty will star Mark Wahlberg as “the hardened professional thief who is, naturally, double-crossed and left for dead. His hunt for revenge, however, brings with it a shot at the biggest heist of his career. But, per the studio, even with the help of his partner, an actor-slash-con artist named Grofield, he’ll still need to outsmart a South American dictator, the New York mob and the world’s richest man if he hopes to stay alive.” LaKeith Stanfield will play Grofield.

In addition to directing Play Dirty, Shane Black also co-wrote the script alongside Charles Mondry and Anthony Bagarozzi. The project was first announced two years ago, but there have been some major changes since then. At the time, it was reported that Robert Downey Jr. would be starring as Parker. Although the reins have been handed to Wahlberg, Downey Jr. is still producing alongside Susan Downey through their Team Downey banner. Joel Silver was also onboard to produce but was reportedly fired from the production over verbal abuse allegations.

LaKeith Stanfield can currently be seen starring in The Book of Clarence. “Inspired by classic Hollywood epics set in biblical times, The Book of Clarence tells the tale of Clarence (Stanfield), a down-on-his-luck denizen of Jerusalem embarking on a misguided attempt to capitalize on the rise of celebrity and influence of the Messiah for his own personal gain,” reads the official synopsis. “It’s a journey that leads him on an exploration of the idea of faith and to an unexpected path of his own.”

In his review of the film, our own Chris Bumbray found that although it fell flat in the comedy department, it did work as a genuine biblical epic. “The Book of Clarence doesn’t shy away from being provocative, with Samuels having fun by giving the film a modern hip-hop soundtrack and having everyone act in a contemporary, 21st-century way,” Bumbray wrote in his review. “But, at it’s heart its a story about the redemptive power of faith and how sometimes the most seemingly unworthy of us could actually end up being the ones that turn out to be truly virtuous.” You can check out the rest of Bumbray’s review right here.