As if he’s not busy enough promoting his passion project The Fighter, Mark Wahlberg has been announcing future projects left and right over the past week or so. The latest one, as reported by The Playlist, is Brian Tucker‘s unproduced neo-noir screenplay titled Broken City. Wahlberg had nothing but gushing praise for Tucker‘s script, calling it “one of the best unproduced screenplays, an amazing piece of material that should attract amazing talent.”
So far, though, the level of talent is questionable. Allen Hughes, one of the men behind The Book of Eli, is set to direct, and although he clearly has potential, his filmography has been largely hit-and-miss to date. However, considering the following synopsis, the material seems to cater to Hughes‘ exceptional ability to create distinctly dark environments:
A neo-noir as dark as night, [Broken City] follows Billy Taggart, an ex-cop thrown off the force after shooting a 16-year-old kid. Eight years on, he’s working as a private detective, and is hired by the colorful incumbent in the New York mayoral race to investigate his wife’s infidelity.
The Playlist’s Oliver Lyttelton goes on to say that, “more than anything else, the convoluted plot and study of corruption in the big city makes it reminiscent of ‘Chinatown,’ and Taggart’s a fascinating protagonist—a man trying with every fiber of his being to be good, but unable to fight off the darkness he’s capable of.”
Being a big fan of noir, both new and old, Broken City has instantly grabbed my attention, and considering how many great scripts must go unnoticed, it’s refreshing to see one of these get a second life.
Are you excited about the potential of Broken City?