Netflix's Wonderland Teams Up Mark Wahlberg, Peter Berg Again

Netflix has signed Mark Wahlberg and director Peter Berg for a film adaptation of Robert B. Parker's Wonderland – written by author Ace Atkins – which is part of the Spenser series, named for its fictional Boston-based private investigator who has appeared in over 40 novels since 1973, the TV series Spenser: For Hire that ran from 1985-1988, and three TV movies from 1999-2001.

Wonderland was written by Atkins in 2013, who was selected by Parker's estate after his death in 2010. Netflix's official description for the film reads: "The story follows Spenser who, fresh out of prison, is sucked back into Boston’s underbelly as he uncovers the truth about a sensational murder and the twisted conspiracy behind it."

This will be the fifth time Wahlberg and Berg are teaming up for a movie. Their previous collaborations include 2013's Afghanistan war drama Lone Survivor, 2016's Gulf of Mexico oil spill disaster Deepwater Horizon and Boston Marathon bombing crime thriller Patriots Day, and the upcoming action-thriller Mile 22, which releases in August in the US.

Deadline reports that Netflix is looking at Wonderland as the start of a potential series of films centred on Spenser, given there's no lack of written material for the character. Wonderland has been written by Sean O'Keefe – he's also writing The Green Hornet reboot of the 1960s TV series – and producers include Neal H. Moritz via his Original Film banner, alongside Wahlberg, Stephen Levinson and Berg via his Film 44 banner.

For Netflix, Wonderland fits into the streaming service's agenda of tapping A-list stars for its film ambitions, on the back of signing Ryan Reynolds and Michael Bay for Six Underground, and kick-starting a Bright franchise with Will Smith late last year.