It's in the nature of every movie fan to approach remakes with caution, but the new 'The Gambler' trailer makes us feel like this is one do-over that's worth our time and money. Mark Wahlberg steps in for James Caan and director Rupert Wyatt steps in for Karl Reisz and the result is a film that looks to honor the original while very much doing its own thing.

As you'd expect from a screenplay written by William Monahan (whose Oscar-winning screenplay for 'The Departed' is one of the most quotable films of the past decade), this red band, NSFW trailer is full of gloriously profane dialogue. Built around a conversation between Wahlberg's edgy gambler and John Goodman's creepy crime boss, the trailer cuts to various other scenes and shows off the rest of the ensemble while these two sling profanities at each other. It's slick stuff and if the rest of the film is as good as this exchange looks, we could be in for a treat.

The film already had us at Wahlberg, Goodman, Monahan and Wyatt (who helmed the great 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes'), but the cast also includes Michael Kenneth Williams, Jessica Lange and Brie Larson. Yeah, we're there on opening day.

Here's the official plot synopsis:

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…

'The Gambler' will open in limited release on December 19, 2014 before expanding wide on January 2, 2015.

Gambler poster
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