Ben Affleck, Action Director For Hire
Ben Affleck seems well on his way to a career like John Travolta or Bruce Willis, an actor who goes through so many career zeniths and nadirs and "comebacks" that the way the public reacts to him becomes a storyline of its own. But Affleck has a distinct advantage over those two actors: As he proved in both "Gone Baby Gone" and "The Town," the guy can direct the crap out of a movie. That's gonna help.
"Gone Baby Gone" came out in 2007, and Affleck, fresh of a string of flops ranging from "Gigli" to "Paycheck" to "Jersey Girl" to "Surviving Christmas," was wise enough not to cast himself in the film. But by the time he made "The Town," he had enough confidence in his skills to play the lead, and thus, both actor and director were rehabilitated. But he's being smart about it: He's more about the directing right now than the acting.
His next project may secure that. The Hollywood Reporter broke last night that Affleck may direct the thriller "Argo." It's a George Clooney production, and it sounds like a killer premise. Basically, in 1979, the American and Canadian government helped smuggle out six U.S. diplomats from Iran by pretending that they were movie executives making a sci-fi thriller. (That might be the most "George Clooney Options This" premise ever.) It's based of a Wired magazine story from 2007 that, if you want the movie spoiled, you can read right here.
It sounds like a fun, exciting romp, though it's of note that "The Town" wasn't exactly known for its humor. But now studios want to work with Ben Affleck the director more than they want to work with Ben Affleck the actor. That happened fast.
Ben Affleck in Talks to Direct Tehran Hostage Crisis Film [The Hollywood Reporter]
How the CIA Used a Fake Sci-Fi Flick to Rescue Americans from Tehran [Wired]
