Ben Affleck

New Images from THE HOBBIT and ARGO

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: January 30th, 2012 at 2:40 pm

Warner Bros. has released new images from Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit and Ben Affleck’s Argo.  As you can see, the new image from The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey shows Bilbo being offered some food, and the Argo image shows Ben Affleck doing a reading for his mission to rescue some American hostages from Iran.  So…nothing Earth-shattering but we’re all really looking forward to these movies so we’ll take what we can get.

Hit the jump to check out the full images.  The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey opens in 3D on December 14th.  Argo opens September 14th.

Warner Bros. Sets Screenwriter for Ben Affleck’s THE STAND; Matt Damon’s Untitled Drama Moves to Universal

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: January 18th, 2012 at 5:49 pm

We’ve got a couple updates on the latest projects from Oscar-winning screenwriting duo Ben Affleck and Matt Damon (yes, they act too). A few months ago Affleck was chosen by Warner Bros. to direct their big-budget adaptation of the Stephen King novel The Stand. While it’s been a while since we’ve heard any movement on the project, it now appears that Affleck has now set a screenwriter on the pic. After apparently wowing the studio with an adaptation of King’s It, David Kajganich (The Invasion) has been tapped to handle scripting duties. Hit the jump for much more, including news concerning the untitled drama that Damon was previously set to direct.

More Details on Terrence Malick’s Untitled Romantic Drama Starring Ben Affleck and Rachel McAdams

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: November 3rd, 2011 at 7:58 am

Earlier this week, we reported that writer-director Terrence Malick had two new films (both starring Christian Bale) in the pipeline, which was surprising considering the huge time gap between Malick’s previous movies.  But neither of the Bale movies are the follow-up to The Tree of Life.  Malick’s next movie is an untitled romantic drama (previously titled The Burial) he shot last year, and 24 Frames has some new details on the plot.  To begin, it’s Malick’s first movie set in the present day, and he’s currently at work editing the picture, which he expects to be finished by next year (although that doesn’t mean a distributor will release it in 2012).  So what’s this mystery flick about?  Philandering!  Europeans!  Oklahoma!

Hit the jump for more details.  The film stars Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams, Olga Kurylenko, Javier Bardem, Rachel Weisz, Barry Pepper, and Jessica Chastain.

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck to Reteam for Biopic of Irish Crime Boss Whitey Bulger; Plus an Update on Damon’s Directorial Debut [UPDATED]

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: October 24th, 2011 at 9:41 am

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are set to reteam for a biopic of Irish crime boss Whitey Bulger.  The project hasn’t been officially announced, but Damon is playing Bulger, Affleck is directing, and Terrence Winter (Boardwalk Empire) is writing the script.  Affleck and Damon were previously planning to team up for The Trade, a true-life story about wife-swapping Yankees players, but legal complications have held up the project.  Damon says the movie is still in development, but it will come after the Bulger biopic.

Hit the jump for more on Bulger, the direction the movie might take, and an update on Damon’s recently-announced directorial debut. [Update: More details have been revealed about the project including new casting.  Hit the jump for more.]

Warner Bros. Chooses Ben Affleck to Direct and Adapt Stephen King’s THE STAND

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: October 21st, 2011 at 4:17 pm

In a bit of a head scratcher, Warner Bros. has chosen Ben Affleck to write and direct their adaptation of Stephen King’s The Stand. The reason that this news is confusing is that just a couple months ago, it was reported that Warner Bros. was in negotiations with director David Yates to reunite with his Harry Potter scribe Steve Kloves for a multi-film adaptation of King’s novel. Deadline has the Affleck news, and their report has no mention of Yates. The Potter director was in high demand after helming the last four films in the beloved franchise, and it seemed as though he’d be tied up with The Stand for a few years before being able to take on any other projects. Now it looks as though Yates is free to choose another film as his follow-up. Hit the jump for more.

Matt Damon to Direct ERIN BROCKOVICH-Like Project, Based on an Idea from John Krasinski and Dave Eggers

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: October 19th, 2011 at 6:38 pm

We have been keeping tabs on Matt Damon’s directorial ambitions for some time now.  The wife-swapping Yankee tale The Trade was an early candidate for his directorial debut, but the project is on hold pending legal issues.  The thriller Father Daughter Time emerged as another possibility this summer.  When Damon remarked that John Krasinski will star in an upcoming project, we linked Krasinki to Father Daughter Time.  However, we learned tonight that Father Daughter Time and the Krasinski collaboration are two separate projects.  Krasinski came up with the idea for the untitled drama, which THR compares to Erin Brockovich in the sense that the story centers on a town being poisoned.  Variety adds a bit more detail: “Damon plays a salesman who arrives in a small town only to have his whole life called into question.”  More after the jump.

Warner Bros. Sets Release Date for Ben Affleck’s ARGO

by Jackson Cresswell    Posted: September 29th, 2011 at 1:31 pm

Earlier this month we brought you the first official synopsis of Ben Affleck’s new political/period drama Argo.  Then we saw a few set photos of Alan Arkin with Affleck who was looking fly in his wide-collared wardrobe complete with gold chain and chest hair a-poppin’.  The supporting cast—which includes names like Bryan Cranston, John Goodman, and Michael Parks—combined with the Affleck’s directing talent make Argo look like a must-see.  Now we know when we will see: According to Box Office Mojo, Warner Bros. has set the release date for September 14, 2012.  This release date follows yesterday’s release date news about another potential WB awards contender, Gangster Squad.

Hit the jump for the synopsis and my thoughts on the release date.

FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH and DAZED AND CONFUSED Blu-ray Reviews

by Andre Dellamorte    Posted: September 24th, 2011 at 6:37 am

Universal has been releasing Fast Times at Ridgemont High and Dazed and Confused together for a while now. I guess it makes sense. They’re both “party” films in that it’s hard to imagine Fast Times having the impact it did without Sean Penn’s Jeff Spicoli character, and Dazed and Confused second half is virtually one long party. Universal has embraced that, often selling both with pot jokes. Fast Times follows a group of teens (including Jennifer Jason Leigh, Phoebe Cates, Penn, Judge Reinhold and more) as they look for love and deal with sex in high school, while Confused follows a set of juniors (including Jason London, Ben Affleck, Parker Posey and Adam Goldberg) as they are about to become seniors and become rulers of the school. Our reviews of both Fast Times and Dazed and Confused on Blu-ray follow after the jump.

First Look at Ben Affleck and Alan Arkin from the Set of ARGO

by Matt Currie    Posted: September 8th, 2011 at 10:26 am

Ben Affleck’s underway on his latest acting/directing gig—the fact-based, 70s-set political thriller Argo, which focuses on a CIA agent trying to extract six Americans trapped in Iran at the height of the Iranian revolution. This in mind, a few pics of the bearded, bell-bottomed star on the film’s Los Angeles set have surfaced online. While they don’t reveal too much, we do get to see Affleck conversing with co-star Alan Arkin and whipping those bulging pecs and deltoids left over from The Town into ‘70s shape with a regimen of purple Gatorade and cigarettes.

Hit the jump to check out the images and for more on Argo.

First Official Synopsis for Ben Affleck’s ARGO

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: September 1st, 2011 at 11:36 am

Ben Affleck’s Argo began shooting today.  The film has a killer cast that includes Affleck, Alan Arkin, Bryan Cranston, and John Goodman, Kyle Chandler, Rory Cochrane, Victor Garber, Richard Kind, and Michael Parks.  I don’t really care about press releases announcing that filming has commenced (what’s newsworthy is when it looks like filming will commence and then it doesn’t), but this press release includes the first official synopsis for the movie.  Check it out:

Based on true events, “Argo” chronicles the life-or-death covert operation to rescue six Americans, which unfolded behind the scenes of the Iran hostage crisis—the truth of which was unknown by the public for decades.  On November 4, 1979, as the Iranian revolution reaches its boiling point, militants storm the U.S. embassy in Tehran, taking 52 Americans hostage. But, in the midst of the chaos, six Americans manage to slip away and find refuge in the home of the Canadian ambassador. Knowing it is only a matter of time before the six are found out and likely killed, a CIA “exfiltration” specialist named Tony Mendez (Affleck) comes up with a risky plan to get them safely out of the country. A plan so incredible, it could only happen in the movies.

Okay, so that doesn’t point out that his plan is to use a fake movie as cover for the operation, but that’s the hook.  Affleck co-wrote the script with Good Night and Good Luck. screenwriter Grant Heslov.  Hit the jump for the full press release which includes a rundown of the behind-the-camera talent.

Taylor Schilling, Tate Donovan and Nelson Franklin Join Ben Affleck’s ARGO

by Jason Barr    Posted: August 29th, 2011 at 6:56 pm

The cast for director/star Ben Affleck’s drama Argo continues to take shape as Taylor Schilling (NBC’s Mercy), Tate Donovan (I’ll always remember him as Jimmy Cooper on The O.C.), and Nelson Franklin (The Office) have all signed on to the pic. The trio joins a cast that already includes Affleck, Bryan Cranston, John Goodman, Alan Arkin and Kyle Chandler. For those currently unaware, Argo is based upon a 2007 article from Wired magazine entitled “How the CIA Used a Fake Sci-Fi Flick to Rescue Americans from Tehran.” Chris Terrio adapted the Joshuah Bearman piece which documents the rescue of six U.S. diplomats in 1979.

According to Variety, Schilling will take on the role of Affleck’s wife. The actress also has a role alongside Zac Efron in the drama The Lucky One opening August 24th, 2012. As for Donovan and Franklin, the report states that they will play a U.S. embassy consular and a reported respectively. George Clooney and Grant Heslov are co-producing the project under their Smokehouse banner. Argo is currently aiming for a 2012 release.

Kyle Chandler Joins Ben Affleck’s ARGO

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: August 26th, 2011 at 3:13 pm

The cast of Ben Affleck’s next directorial project Argo continues to be awesome, as Friday Night Lights star Kyle Chandler is the latest to sign on. The Warner Bros. pic now boasts Affleck, Bryan Cranston, John Goodman, Alan Arkin, and Scoot McNairy as part of its stellar cast. USA Today reports (via The Playlist) that Chandler’s role is a small one, but doesn’t add any further details. The film is based upon a 2007 Wired magazine article entitled “How the CIA Used a Fake Sci-Fi Flick to Rescue Americans from Tehran.” The feature documents a rescue mission launched by the CIA for a group of diplomats in Tehran that involved a rouse to convince the Iranian government that the diplomats were actually a Hollywood film crew scouting locations.

Affleck is set in the lead role as the CIA exfiltration expert who develops the plan, with Arkin playing a Hollywood producer who’s also an O.S.S. veteran and is described as “equal parts bookie and rabbi,” Cranston onboard as an Irish CIA agent from Boston, and Goodman playing Oscar-winning Planet of the Apes makeup artist John Chambers who aids the CIA in their mission. George Clooney and Grant Heslov are producing under their Smokehouse banner. Argo is eyeing a 2012 release.

Ben Affleck May Direct and Star in LINE OF SIGHT

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: August 23rd, 2011 at 12:03 pm

Ben Affleck is currently at work directing and starring in the Iranian hostage drama Argo but he’s already eyeing his next feature.  According to THR, Affleck is in talks to direct the action flick Line of Sight for Warner Bros. and producers Joel Silver (The Matrix) and Andrew Rona (Unknown).  The plot “centers on an elite commando squad transporting cargo while dealing with a global threat.”  Sounds a little generic, but Affleck has brought his own edge to noir and heist flicks, so this could be interesting.  Oh, wait.  There’s more:  “One of the conceits of the movie is that it tells the tale from a point-of-view akin to a first-person shooter game.”  Hooray.  As we previously reported, Halo: Reach writer Peter O’Brien came on board to work on the script and now it looks like we know why.  Perhaps Affleck could bring something to the film that makes the FPS conceit more than a gimmick.  Or the movie could simply be Call of Duty but you’re not allowed to play and when a character dies there’s not a trite quotation about war.

Argo starts shooting next month in Los Angeles.  In addition to Affleck, the film also stars Bryan Cranston, John Goodman, and Alan Arkin (if you needed more reasons to be excited about it).

Bryan Cranston in Talks to Join Ben Affleck’s ARGO

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: June 28th, 2011 at 5:41 pm

Casting seems to be moving right along for Ben Affleck’s next directorial project Argo. Just yesterday, it was announced that John Goodman and Affleck himself had joined Alan Arkin in the cast, and now Variety reports that Bryan Cranston is in negotiations to take on one of the lead roles. The film tells the true story of how the CIA and the Canadian government teamed up to rescue six U.S. diplomats who had been taken hostage by Iranians in 1979. The CIA’s ruse involved convincing the Iranian government that the diplomats were actually a Hollywood film crew scouting locations.

Cranston will play an Irish CIA agent from Boston who used to be the bodyguard to President Eisenhower. Goodman plays Oscar-winning Planet of the Apes makeup artist John Chambers, Arkin is set to portray a Hollywood producer and O.S.S. veteran, and Affleck is taking on the lead. George Clooney and Grant Heslov are producing. Given the caliber of Affleck’s recent work and the cast he’s assembled so far,  Argo is shaping up to be quite the flick.

Ben Affleck Will Also Star in His Next Directorial Feature, ARGO

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: June 27th, 2011 at 8:50 pm

Director Ben Affleck first started considering Argo as his next project in February.  In the months since, Affleck cast Alan Arkin and John Goodman in two supporting roles.  Until tonight, Affleck had yet to announce the man to play Tony Mendez, “the CIA exfiltration expert who created a fake Hollywood production to get six Americans who were hiding out at the Canadian ambassador’s out of Iran.”  According to Variety, Affleck will assume the lead role himself.  Affleck, Arkin, and Goodman make a formidable trio at the top of the playbill.

George Clooney and Grant Heslov are on board as producers under their Smokehouse banner.  Chris Terrio (Heights) wrote the script based on a Wired magazine article titled “How the CIA Used a Fake Sci-Fi Flick to Rescue Americans from Tehran.”  Read more about the truly movie-worthy subject matter after the break.

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