Donald E. Westlake must be scratching his head somewhere in another realm. With rights in hand to all 28 of the crime author’s novels (published as Richard Stark) starring his tough guy Parker, director Shane Black plucked out certain parts to make a single movie. It’s a little strange. But he’s said it was because he didn’t want to do another adaptation of the first book. Most recently we saw Jason Statham take the lead in a 2013 Parker movie, but in next month’s Amazon MGM Studios/Prime Video release, Play Dirty, it’s Mark Wahlberg stepping up to the plate. We know Wahlberg has already appeared in one solid heist movie, The Italian Job, and the first trailer for Play Dirty appears to have the warranted pile of action scenes. The selected story elements take Parker to South America for the heist, and he leads a big cast in what looks similar in style to another direct-to-home movie, 6 Underground.
The cast includes LaKeith Stanfield as Westlake recurring character Grofield, plus Tony Shalhoub, Keegan-Michael Key, Thomas Jane, Gretchen Mol, and Rosa Salazar. Music is by Alan Silvestri. And it’s a Christmas movie.
Check out the trailer for Play Dirty:
Will this be the first of many Parker movies from Black, who delivered a solid pulp crime story with The Nice Guys? Why secure the rights to all 28 novels for just a single movie? Is Wahlberg really right for Westlake’s character? Find out next month. Play Dirty streams on Prime Video October 1, 2025.
C.J. Bunce / Editor / borg
