The Trade has a lot going for it. The film promises to reunite Ben Affleck and Matt Damon on screen for the first time in over a decade. It's been suggested that The Trade could be Damon's directorial debut. And then there's the premise, based on the true story of former Yankee pitchers Mike Kekich and Fritz Peterson, who traded wives in 1972. Sounds like a movie to me!
The filmmakers are reportedly considering Naomi Watts, Rachel Weisz, and Rebecca Hall for the film. The roles in question aren't specified, but there are obviously two distinct female leads in this picture to lure actresses of this caliber. However, this casting is dependent on The Trade going into production; if Kekich gets his way, his life story will not be a movie. Details after the break.
Kekich was never keen on broadcasting his private life. The double marriage took place in October 1972, but the news didn't leak to the public until spring of the next year. Kekich effectively dropped off the public radar in an attempt to put the scandal behind him. A source tells the New York Post:
"Kekich is panic-stricken. He has moved away and has a new identity. He is freaked out that those working on the movie found out where he is. He isn't too keen on having the scandal dredged up again after all this time. Other Yankees from that time have also been really unhelpful with facts and details of what happened. They are stonewalling."
I don't know if Kekich has the power to impede development, but it does raise an interesting ethical question. The subject matter is fascinating, and the teaming of Affleck, Damon, and some combination of Watts, Weisz, and Hall is unspeakably tempting. But is it right to repurpose Kekich's life against his expressed wishes for my entertainment?
I value entertainment over ethics, so I will continue to wish Godspeed to the production. Ben Affleck and his brother Casey are currently working on a new draft of the script.
Meanwhile, the elder Affleck is considering a number of directorial projects to follow the critical and commercial success The Town. The Post hears that Affleck is currently focused on the political drama Argo; the report even suggests Argo is "about to start shooting."