Ben Affleck has gone a long way toward establishing himself as a respected filmmaker. His first two films, Gone Baby Gone and The Town, earned multiple Oscar nominations, with well-deserved nods for Amy Ryan and Jeremy Renner in supporting roles.
His latest, Argo, marks a significant step forward for Affleck as a storyteller. Audiences will be able to see for themselves when the political thriller opens in theaters on Friday, Oct. 12. But instead of pursuing his next directorial challenge, Affleck’s keeping the door open to acting gigs. No, not Justice League. Armie Hammer reportedly is going to get the Batman gig that Affleck once might have pursued.
Instead, Affleck is circling Focus, a con-artist drama about a seasoned grifter who falls for his female protégé, according to Deadline. The script comes from Crazy Stupid Love co-directors Glenn Ficarra and John Requa. At one point, it was rumored that Crazy co-stars Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone could be teamed for Focus, but now Affleck’s in play, and producers are looking for a female lead.
Which begs the question: Which Affleck do you prefer? Maybe you can’t answer it until you’ve see Argo (which is terrific, trust me). But would you rather see Affleck focus on directing? Do you want him to juggle acting projects, in addition? Which direction would you rather see the one-time Oscar-winning screenwriter (for Good Will Hunting) take his career? Share your thoughts below.
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