Justin Bieber is set to star opposite Mark Wahlberg in an as-yet-unnamed basketball drama.

But why did he cast the Biebs, who doesn’t have film acting experience? “Intuition,” Wahlberg tells MTV News.

Wahlberg, 40, made the amazing jump from fluffy hip-hop sensation to serious actor, and apparently he has faith that the 17-year-old entertainer can do the same.

"I see the guy and spent time with him, and you see what he does and how he does it, and then you actually have a conversation with him, and it's there,” Wahlberg said of the “Under the Mistletoe” singer. “And if not, I will extract it."

The sports movie centers on “an old guy and a young guy," and Wahlberg initially thought he was playing the younger role, even suggesting Robert De Niro as his co-star.

“And they go, 'What about Garrett Hedlund?'” he recalled of his conversation with Paramount. “I'm like, 'For what?' They're like, 'For the young guy.'"

Once he realized the casting criteria, Wahlberg opted for the baby-faced Canadian over the "Country Strong" star. "Wait till you see me and Bieber in the flick," the actor said. "Think of, like, 'The Color of Money.'"

Read More:
http://marquee.blogs.cnn.com/2011/12/28/wahlberg-on-why-he-cast-bieber-in-basketball-drama/