Deadline is reporting that Ben Affleck is set to direct and co-star in a new mobster film based on the life of Whitey Bulger, one of the most infamous crime bosses in history. The project would mark his first collaboration with Matt Damon since their Oscar-winning Good Will Hunting, Affleck’s brother Casey Affleck would also star.
The film, which is being penned by Boardwalk Empire creator Terence Winter, would mark the much-anticipated reunion of Ben Affleck and Damon. On their working together again Affleck had this to say, via Deadline:
“Matt [Damon] and I have been looking for something to do together for some time….We’ve heard about Whitey Bulger since we were kids, and we are excited by the prospect of putting it on screen.”
The saga of Whitey Bulger immediately lends itself to become a Hollywood epic, the story will follow Bulger’s youth in South Boston, to becoming one of the FBI’s top 10 most wanted individuals, to his incarceration in Alcatraz. Bulger became one of the most infamous crime bosses in history, all while being an FBI informant for several decades.
Damon is set to play Whitey Bulger, with Ben and Casey Affleck tapped in unspecified roles. This film would mark the reunion of the Affleck brothers for the first time since collaboration on Ben Affleck’s excellent directorial debut Gone, Baby, Gone.
Another extremely interesting angle on this story, is Ben Affleck’s previously reported involvement in the Stephen King adaptation of The Stand. It is unlikely that Affleck will be able to direct both, as he is currently directing Argo for Warner Bros. While Warner Bros. seems to absolutely love Affleck, directing and starring in three films for one studio in short succession seems highly unlikely. I for one wouldn’t be surprised if David Yates and Steve Kloves are brought back on board for The Stand, as the reunion of Affleck and Damon is sure to whet Warner’s appetite just fine. Everything from the plot description, “true story” aspect of the film, and the talent involved screams Goodfellas to us, and Warner Bros. is clearly just as excited about the prospects:
“When Ben [Affleck] mentioned this to Jeff and Sarah, they jumped immediately,” said Greg Silverman, Warner Bros. Pictures president of production. “It’s a perfect for of story with the ideal artists to bring that story to the screen, and it’s so great to be heading back to Boston with Ben and Matt [Damon].”
It will be extremely interesting to see this project unfold. Ben Affleck has already previously captured Boston with excellent results in his two other directorial projects, the aforementioned Gone, Baby, Gone aas well as the crime heist film The Town. If this report holds out to be true, we think Warner Bros. has made the right decision as Affleck is better equipped for such as project, and the involvement of two of his finest collaborators really adds icing on the cake.
Also, while we’re clearly fans of Boardwalk Empire and the involvement of Terence Winter is sure to add to the project, we can’t help but be greedy in wanting Damon and Affleck to co-write. Not only have the duo proven their ability to collaborate on writing projects together (see: Good WIll Hunting), but they have an intimate knowledge and love for the city of Boston and its history.
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