Ben Affleck to Direct Historical Epic King Leopold's Ghost with Martin Scorsese Producing
Ben Affleck is taking a seat in the director’s chair once again.
The Oscar winner, 47, is set to direct the upcoming King Leopold’s Ghost, a drama based on Adam Hochschild’s best-selling book about King Leopold II of Belgium’s conquest into the African Congo and the Congolese’s fight back against the monarch. The atrocities committed during King Leopold’s looting led to one of the first human rights movements. The movie will be set in the 20th century in Congo.
On top of directing, Affleck will also produce alongside Martin Scorsese, according to Deadline. The last time the actor stepped behind the camera was for 2016’s Live By Night.
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He also directed and produced the critically acclaimed hit Argo in 2012, which won him an Oscar for Best Picture. Affleck previously won an Oscar in 1998 for writing Good Will Hunting alongside his best friend Matt Damon.
Affleck has also been staying busy in front of the camera, with his latest movie The Way Back hitting theaters in March 2020. The film follows a troubled former basketball player on an unlikely path to redemption who finds his purpose while coaching a high school basketball team.
The Gavin O’Connor-directed film, previously known as Torrance, was Affleck’s first after completing a 40-day stay at a treatment center last October. Affleck and O’Connor (Warrior) also worked together on 2016’s The Accountant.
The actor has a busy work schedule ahead of him. In addition to The Way Back, Affleck is currently filming the drama Deep Water in New Orleans and also has the Netflix film adaptation of Joan Didion’s The Last Thing He Wanted opposite Anne Hathaway, arriving in 2020.
Affleck also continues to work behind the camera, writing The Last Duel with longtime pal Matt Damon and Nicole Holofcener (Can You Ever Forgive Me?) for director Ridley Scott, and he just signed on to star in the erotic thriller Hypnotic from Sin City director Robert Rodriguez.
The Way Back, which also stars Janina Gavankar, Al Madrigal and Hayes MacArthur, is scheduled to open in theaters March 6, 2020.
