Mark Wahlberg Plays Balding, Psychotic Hit Man in Mel Gibson’s ‘Flight Risk,’ First Trailer Drops at Cinemacon

Mark Wahlberg promised that he gets to show a very different side of himself in “Flight Risk,” a new thriller from Mel Gibson. And based on the trailer that Lionsgate shared at CinemaCon on Thursday, that’s no exaggeration. Wahlberg, who specializes in square-jawed heroes, is balding and psychotic, playing a mob hit man who tricks a federal agent into allowing him to pilot a plane carrying an informant out of a remote area.

Scenery is chewed as Wahlberg sports a faux Southern accent and flashes a sociopathic glint in his eye. Gibson, no stranger to controversies over the years, is presented in the trailer as the Oscar-winning director of “Braveheart” and “Apocalypto.” Gibson also earned an Oscar nomination for “Hacksaw Ridge.” He and Wahlberg have worked together in the past on “Father Stu” and “Daddy’s Home 2.” “Flight Risk” is different from those films (think aviation thrillers like “Executive Decision” and “Passenger 57”).

More from Variety

• Mel Gibson Calls Robert Downey Jr. 'Bold and Generous' for Urging Hollywood to Forgive Gibson After 2006 Arrest and Antisemitic Remarks: 'I Loved Him for That'

• Box Office: Mark Wahlberg's 'Arthur the King' Makes $825,000 in Previews

• 'Arthur the King' Review: Mark Wahlberg and a Very Good Dog Make For a Winning Combination in This Feelgood Drama

Michelle Dockery, looking many zip codes removed from “Downton Abbey,” plays the agent, who goes toe-to-toe with Wahlberg as they fight for control of the plane. At another point she utters the line, ” Mayday we’ve been compromised — the pilot’s a hit man.” So it’s a change of pace for Dockery too.

Topher Grace is the handcuffed informant who may not have a long life expectancy. The trailer plays with a slowed-down version of the Talking Heads song, “Psycho Killer.”

Jared Rosenberg’s screenplay for “Flight Risk” was voted onto the year’s “Black List” of the most-liked unproduced screenplays in Hollywood. Lionsgate also shared footage from “Borderlands,” its adaptation of the popular video game, and “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,” a family friendly holiday film.

Best of Variety

• New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 

• From 'The Sympathizer' to 'Three-Body Problem': The Best Book-to-Screen Adaptations to Read This Year

• What's Coming to Disney+ in April 2024

Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.