Mark Wahlberg tried (and failed) to pitch a sequel to The Departed

Mark Wahlberg has revealed that he tried pitching a sequel to crime thriller The Departed with screenwriter William Monahan – but they weren't successful.

"I went into a meeting with Bill Monahan at Warner Bros. to pitch the sequel to The Departed," Wahlberg told KFC Radio (via Esquire). "And let’s just say the pitch didn’t go very well. He really didn’t have anything fleshed out, but he’s the kind of guy you just trust to go and write something. And so when we were working on the script for Cocaine Cowboys and American Desperado [I] said, ‘Bill, just go write. They like to have things well thought out and planned.’ It’d be a pretty good one."

Wahlberg played Staff Sergeant Sean Dignam in the movie, which was released in 2006. Directed by Martin Scorsese, he starred alongside Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, and Jack Nicholson. Although not much is known about the plot of the proposed sequel, Wahlberg also revealed that Monahan, who most recently penned The Tender Bar, was interested in Brad Pitt and Robert De Niro joining the cast.

The Departed follows a mob boss (Nicholson), who plants a mole (Damon) within the police force, at the same time as an undercover cop (DiCaprio) attempts to infiltrate the mob. When both sides realize the situation, they race to find out the other’s identity before they’re found out themselves. The movie won four Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director, and Wahlberg was nominated for Best Supporting Actor.

Wahlberg can currently be seen in Uncharted opposite Tom Holland. For more viewing inspiration, check out our list of the best Netflix movies that you can stream right now.