Paramount Pictures has released the first full-length The Gambler trailer for director Rupert Wyatt’s (Rise of the Planet of the Apes) remake of the 1974 drama, which was written by Oscar-winning The Departed scribe William Monahan.  The film stars Mark Wahlberg as a literature professor whose gambling spirals out of control, affecting both himself and those around him.  Maybe it's the use of The Rolling Stones, but this trailer gives off a very heavy Martin Scorsese vibe to me.  That's not necessarily a bad thing, and Wahlberg really looks to be giving a hell of a performance as his face evokes the toll this kind of stress takes on his spirit.  I'm also happy to see Brie Larson getting a co-lead role in a major studio film, and I'm eager to see where Wyatt takes this particular story.  So far, so good.

Watch The Gambler trailer after the jump.  The film also stars Jessica Lange, John Goodman, and Michael K. WilliamsThe Gambler opens in limited release on December 19th and expands wide on January 2, 2015.

Trailer via Grantland.

Here's the official synopsis for The Gambler:

Jim Bennett (Academy Award®-nominee Mark Wahlberg) is a risk taker. Both an English professor and a high-stakes gambler, Bennett bets it all when he borrows from a gangster (Michael Kenneth Williams) and offers his own life as collateral. Always one step ahead, Bennett pits his creditor against the operator of a gambling ring (Alvin Ing) and leaves his dysfunctional relationship with his wealthy mother (Academy Award®-winner Jessica Lange) in his wake. He plays both sides, immersing himself in an illicit, underground world while garnering the attention of Frank (John Goodman), a loan shark with a paternal interest in Bennett’s future. As his relationship with a student (Brie Larson) deepens, Bennett must take the ultimate risk for a second chance…

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