hollie ottman: Justin Bieber, Mark Wahlberg Open Up About Basketball Flick

'It's going to be crazy,' Bieber promises at MTV Movie Awards.
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Josh Horowitz

Justin Bieber
Photo: MTV News

It seems that things are well under way for the basketball movie starring Mark Wahlberg and Justin Bieber. How do we know? Well, the guys themselves updated us this weekend at two of the biggest events of the summer.

Wahlberg told MTV News on Saturday night at Spike's Guys Choice Awards that while he thought he'd be playing Bieber's part initially, he eventually came around to playing the "old guy" role.

"Wait till you see me and Bieber in the flick. Think of like 'The Color of Money,' " he teased. "So I get this call from Paramount [where they tell me about the story about] an old guy and a young guy. I'm like, 'Cool, let's get Jack [Nicholson]. Let's get Robert De Niro. Let's get Robert Duvall.' And they go, 'What about Garrett Hedlund?'

"I'm like, 'For what?' " he further recalled. "They're like, 'For the young guy.' "

(Check out photos of Justin Bieber and tons of other stars backstage at the 2011 MTV Movie Awards!)

The next day, at the MTV Movie Awards, Justin Bieber seemed equally excited about the project, if not a bit tight-lipped. "I know ," he promised. "You'll have to see. I can't really reveal too much about it."

According to previous reports, Wahlberg has been keeping tabs on the young star. "He loves the idea," Wahlberg said last month. "He's been sending me video, he sent me a video of himself, and, yeah, I think he's really talented." The idea was sparked after Wahlberg and partner Stephen Levinson caught Bieber playing basketball in February during a celebrity game held during NBA All-Star Game weekend.

MTV News has all of the highlights from the 2011 MTV Movie Awards. Relive the best moments, watch red-carpet interviews with your favorite stars and read all about what went on behind the scenes on the big night.

Related Videos

Related Photos