It's never too late in the year for a little competitive bidding war, and Deadline has reported that Universal Pictures have come out on top as they have optioned the movie rights to Kate Alice Marshall's novel "I Am Still Alive" with Ben Affleck attached to star.
The novel is described as a mix between WILD and THE REVENANT (I like it already) and follows a teenage girl named Jess who is involved in a car crash which kills her mother and leaves her injured. After moving in with her off-the-grid father in the Canadian wilderness, Jess is forced to adapt to a new way of life, but when certain events leave her stranded, far away from any help, with only her father’s dog for company, she’ll discover that she’s stronger than she ever imagined. As I'm sure you've already figured out that Ben Affleck isn't playing the teenage girl, it should come as no big surprise that he'll be playing Jess' father. In addition to taking on a role in I AM STILL ALIVE, Affleck is also close to finalizing a deal to produce the film as well through his Pearl Street Films banner. Lori Evans Taylor is slated to adapt the script from Marshall's novel.
Although Ben Affleck's future as Batman is still seemingly up in the air, the actor still have plenty of non-DC projects just over the horizon, including Dee Rees' THE LAST THING HE WANTED, Gavin O'Connor's TORRANCE, and J. C. Chandor's TRIPLE FRONTIER, the latter of which will find Affleck attempting to rob one of the world's most violent cartels along with Oscar Isaac, Charlie Hunnam, Garrett Hedlund, and Pedro Pascal. TRIPLE FRONTIER will debut on Netflix next March.