In casting news that may stir up strong feelings around the Boston area, it looks like Chris Evans’ exit from upcoming action-thriller “Infinite” has opened the door for another locally bred star to replace him.
Mark Wahlberg is reportedly circling the Antoine Fuqua-directed project, based on D. Eric Maikranz’s novel “The Reincarnationist Papers,” about a secret society of near-immortal people who are reincarnated across centuries and retain total recall of their past lives. In order to defeat an evil mastermind, the society reveals itself to an outsider: a man with schizophrenia, whose vivid dreams are actually memories from two past lives.
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If a deal is struck, the “Patriot’s Day” star – and Dorchester native – will topline the project, a priority for Paramount. It’s gearing up to start shooting in September with a release date already staked out for next August.
Evans became attached to “Infinite” back in February but ended up unable to commit due to scheduling conflicts with “Defending Jacob,” a TV series that’s set to air on Apple’s forthcoming streaming service. The actor, who’s from Sudbury, just came off an eight-year stint playing Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe; his last film as the superhero was this summer’s “Avengers: Endgame.”
Isaac Feldberg can be reached by email at isaac.feldberg@globe.com, or on Twitter at @isaacfeldberg.