Summary

• Despite years of delays, Mark Wahlberg remains hopeful that "The Six Billion Dollar Man" will finally get made.
• The movie has been stuck in development hell since its official confirmation in 2014.
• So far, the only confirmed cast member is Mark Wahlberg, who will play Colonel Steve Austin in what could possibly be an origin story.

Mark Wahlberg has long been attached to a remake of The Six Million Dollar Man, but will the modernized Six Billion Dollar Man movie ever get made? The impetus for the project is the classic 1970s series starring Lee Majors as test pilot Steve Austin, who is nearly killed in an accident and rebuilt using the latest bionic technology. Running from 1973 to 1978, the five-season series was quintessential '70s cheese and is a beloved part of the popular culture of the decade.

Naturally, such a popular series is a prime target to be remade, especially considering the show's themes of technology and humanity becoming all the more pertinent in the 21st century. Starting back in 1995 attempts to create modern remakes of The Six Million Dollar Man have failed to get off the ground, and even the current iteration is notorious for its lengthy delays. Having a big name like Mark Wahlberg attached to the project hasn't been enough to spur the remake into production, which has left many wondering if The Six Billion Dollar Man will ever see the light of day.

Six Billion Dollar Man Latest News

Mixed Updates On The Feature Film Adaptation

Just a few months after Mark Wahlberg offered positive news on the project, the Six Billion Dollar Man movie gets a negative update that continues the film's long and troubled history. Wahlberg had previously mentioned in December 2023 that he was in the process of hashing out a deal with Skydance, the company that owns the rights to the Six Million Dollar Man series. However, it has now been confirmed that no deal has been reached and that no attempts have been made to lock down the rights. The project, now almost 10 years in the making, has hit a roadblock once again.

A day after the remake got negative news, Mark Wahlberg gave a much more optimistic outlook on The Six Billion Dollar Man. Despite Skydance implying the rights were not secured, Wahlberg maintains the rights to the show have been regained and that he still wants the project to proceed. "We've got the rights again, we're looking at making that movie - hopefully soon!" said Wahlberg, though he acknowledged the ticking clock element of his long-gestating project.

Six Billion Dollar Man Is Confirmed

The Project Has Been In The Works Since 2014

The Six Billion Dollar Man was officially confirmed back in 2014, and despite the better part of a decade transpiring, the movie has come no closer to getting made. Since 2014, directors like Peter Berg and Damian Szifron have been attached, only for them to eventually hastily exit. In 2017, the Weinstein Company sold the project to Warner Bros. and a release date was even set in 2018. However, The Six Billion Dollar Man was delayed until 2020 before eventually being delayed indefinitely. The movie has languished in development hell ever since, and Wahlberg's latest update suggests it could still take a while.

The Six Million Dollar Man series is available to stream on Peacock.

Six Billion Dollar Man Cast

Mark Wahlberg Is Attached To Star

So far, the only cast member officially attached to The Six Billion Dollar Man is Mark Wahlberg, and he is still set to play Colonel Steve Austin. It is uncertain how closely the remake will follow the original series, but several important characters could also get a modern upgrade. Oscar Goldman was the head of the Office of Scientific Intelligence, essentially Steve Austin's boss, and Rudy Wells was Austin's physician and confidant. It's likely that those characters, or at least their archetypes, could make an appearance in the new movie.

RELATED: The Six Million Dollar Man Cast & Character Guide

Six Billion Dollar Man Story

What Will Happen In The Remake?

Though nothing has been confirmed yet, it's highly likely that The Six Billion Dollar Man will be an origin story and chronicle Steve Austin's near-death experience which prompted his surgical transformation. The rest of the story will probably see Austin embark on his first adventure as an OSI secret agent, and he'll need to use his cyborg powers to stop some international threat. Details will remain scarce until the movie takes a more solid shape, and there is no telling when exactly The Six Billion Dollar Man will move forward.