WIRE Buzz: Mark Wahlberg replaces Chris Evans in Infinite, The Haunting S2 star, more

Antoine Fuqua's upcoming genre thriller Infinite is trading one major star for another. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Mark Wahlberg is now "in negotations" to star in the film about a group of eternally reincarnating humans who must defeat a powerful villain. He will replace Chris Evans, who recently dropped out of the project because of scheduling conflicts with Defending Jacob, his new series for Apple TV. 

Infinite is adapted from D. Eric Maikranz's novel The Reincarnationist Papers, and tells the story of a group of virtually immortal people who reincarnate throughout history. These people, known as "The Infinite," are facing a growing evil threat, and to stop it they must turn to a schizophrenic man who does not yet know that his all-too-real dreams are in reality the manifestations of his past lives. In order to defeat this villainous mastermind, The Infinite will have to convince him that he's not having dreams, but memories, and that he's their only hope. 

If negotations go well, Wahlberg will play said man in the film, which Fuqua will direct from a script by Ian Shorr (Trenches). Infinite is reportedly set to begin shooting in September. 

Netflix's The Haunting of Bly Manor has begun casting, and it's bringing one of Hill House's most notable residents back to star. 

Victoria Pedretti, who played the tragedy-stricken Nellie Crain in Netflix's The Haunting of Hill House, has signed on to return for Bly Manor, a new story adapted from the ghost stories of Henry James. Pedretti confirmed her casting via the official Haunting Twitter account Friday, and said she'll play Dani, "a governess who takes care of two very unusual children." 

As Nellie in Hill House, Pedretti played a relatively small role compared to some of the series' other stars, but was a key member of the Crain family's present-day struggles with the memory of Hill House. For Bly Manor, she's stepping up to a starring role, and her casting raises the possibility of other Hill House cast members returning to the series for more. 

Back in February, Netflix announced that The Haunting had been renewed for a second season, but since the Hill House story was completed the series would be shifting to an anthology format with a new story and location. Now, Pedretti's casting raises the possibility of a shared universe, and that shared storytelling could actually go quite deep if writer/director Mike Flanagan and his team chose to take that route. Nellie's arc in Hill House helped reveal that spirits in the world of the show were not necessarily tied to a particular time, that haunting specters were apparently a bit more fluid than that. With that in mind, the idea that familiar faces could recur in some form throughout different times and places isn't much of a stretch. 

The Haunting of Bly Manor is set to hit Netflix in 2020. 

After building buzz at the Toronto International Film Festival last year and the Overlook Film Festival this year, William McGregor's supernatural thriller Gwen has landed a home release, and it's coming soon. 

RLJE Films and Shudder, the popular horror and thriller streaming service, announced this week that they've partnered to give Gwen a release on both digital and streaming platforms in the coming months. 

Starring Eleanor Worthington-Cox (Maleficent) in the title role, Gwen is the story of a girl whose world seems to be falling apart. "Struggling with her mother’s mysterious illness, her father's absence and a group of angry villagers threatening to take her farm, Gwen must find the strength to guide her family through the darkness. But as a malevolent presence begins to take grip of her home, it becomes apparent there is a greater evil that may be too strong to overcome."

The film marks McGregor's (Misfits, Poldark) feature directorial debut, and also stars Maxine Peake (The Theory of Everything), Richard Harrington (Requiem), and Mark Lewis Jones (Apostle). 

“Gwen is a haunting, beautiful debut by McGregor, elegant and searing in its dramatic horror and frightening coming-of-age,” Emily Gotto, Global Acquisitions at Shudder, said in a press release. “We are excited to bring Gwen to the North American audience while also continuing to grow our partnership with RLJE.”

Gwen will arrive in theaters as well as on VOD and Digital HD on August 16 ahead of its streaming release on Shudder. The film will also be given a Blu-ray and DVD release via RLJE later this year.