Some films are promoted over a year in advance, with a series of teasers and trailers designed to build anticipation and draw you in. And then there are films like Infinite, which drop their first and only trailer less than two weeks before the film’s premiere. It’s a puzzling choice, especially for a big budget action movie that stars A-lister Mark Wahlberg.

Infinite, directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day, The Equalizer), is based on D. Eric Maikranz’s book The Reincarnationist Papers. The film follows Evan (Wahlberg) who discovers that he is an Infinite, an immortal warrior who has been reincarnated countless times. The film also stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Sophie Cookson, Jason Mantzoukas, Rupert Friend, Toby Jones and Dylan O’Brien.

Infinite was set to hit theaters last year, but was delayed due to the pandemic. But unlike most movies that shifted their release dates, Paramount decided to cancel a theatrical release in favor of making the film exclusively available on Paramount+. It’s a bold move, especially considering the dependable box office success of both Wahlberg and Fuqua. And this film clearly has the makings of a box office hit, as well as a potential franchise.

It’s also odd timing considering we’ve heard nothing about this movie’s premiere on Paramount+. We didn’t glimpse it in any of the Paramount+ promos, and its rushed premiere has all the hallmarks of a misfire that the studio is eager to dump and move on from. But the trailer looks good, the premise is solid (if seen before), and it seems like Paramount is leaving a lot of money on the table with regards to the film.

As the streaming wars heat up, Paramount+ is trying to find an audience with exclusive new content. Their first high profile film is A Quiet Place Part II, which hits theaters on May 28. After 45 days in theaters, the highly anticipated sequel will be available exclusively on Paramount+, eschewing the typical 90-day exclusive theatrical window.

Will audiences join the streaming service to watch Infinite? I guess we’ll find out in June.

(via io9, image: Paramount+)

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Here is a 🧵 of all the biscuits I've made so far in 2021.

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The post Things We Saw Today: Mark Wahlberg Is an Immortal Warrior in Paramount+’s Infinite first appeared on The Mary Sue.