Wahlberg Eyes Singing Role

Mark Wahlberg is negotiating to star in the Warner Bros. film "Metal God," Variety reports. Wahlberg would play the lead singer of a bar band that covers the heavy-metal hits of a hugely popular commercial band that subsequently dumps its lead singer. Wahlberg would get to test his mettle when the larger band taps his character to replace its lead singer. The script is based on a New York Times article about a real-life office supply salesman named Ripper Owens who played in a cover band at night and later replaced Rob Halford as vocalist for heavy-metal band Judas Priest. Wahlberg's got the stage presence from his days as a rap singer known as Marky Mark. That was before he transformed himself into an actor in films including "Boogie Nights," "The Corruptor'" and "The Basketball Diaries."