John Goodman Is A Shark In "The Gambler" Redux

John Goodman has joined the long gestating remake of the James Caan-led 1974 crime drama "The Gambler" says The Wrap.

The original followed a college professor (Caan) whose gambling addiction overcomes him even after he gets in big trouble with the wrong guys.

Martin Scorsese was once attached to call action and then "The Hangover" and "Old School" director Todd Phillips circled the picture. Now "Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes" director Rupert Wyatt is in line to helm the project from a script by William Monahan ("The Departed").

Goodman plays a Jewish loan shark.

Leland Orser plays Jones, a resentful English professor at UCLA who is the superior of Mark Wahlberg's lead character Brie Larson is Wahlberg's girlfriend. Jessica Lange will play his his rich mother

Irwin Winkler, who produced the original, Robert Chartoff, and Stephen Levinson will produce the update.

James Toback, who wrote the original screenplay and based it on his real life addiction to gambling, has been outspoken about his displeasure over the remake. He thinks it's a terrible idea.