A different kind of hero is heading to theaters for Christmas 2017. The Six Billion Dollar Man, starring Mark Wahlberg, has now been scheduled for theatrical release on December 22, 2017 according to Variety. The movie has also secured a new director.

The movie is drawn from the 1970s television series The Six Million Dollar Man, which starred Lee Majors as an astronaut who suffers severe injuries in a crash landing. Some of his damaged body parts are replaced with bionic implants, giving him supernatural strength, speed and vision, and he becomes a secret agent. The show was based on Martin Caidin's novel Cyborg, first published in 1972; three made-for-television movies were initially broadcast in 1973, and their popularity led to the series the following year. The show enjoyed a five-season run and was sufficiently popular to spin off another series with a similar premise, The Bionic Woman.

Over the years, several attempts were made to develop a movie version, involving talent as diverse as Kevin Smith and Jim Carrey. The current version was announced a year ago, with Wahlberg attached to star and his Lone Survivor collaborator Peter Berg set to direct.

In late April of this year, Damián Szifrón (above) came on board to write the script. Szifrón, who grew up in Argentina watching American TV shows like The Six Million Dollar Man, had previously written and directed the richly imaginative Wild Tales, a dazzling black comedy consisting of multiple segments about the pressures of modern-day life. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Langauge Film.

Now Berg has left the project and Szifrón will direct. He has the potential to bring a fresh energy to the movie, something he demonstrated to great effect in Wild Tales, which included several brilliant action sequences. Since he also wrote the script, we're intrigued to see what he has up his sleeves for his first Hollywood movie.

Production is expected to get underway in September 2016. In the meantime, Wahlberg and Berg will make the action movie Mile 22 early next year.