Casey Affleck to play the archangel Gabriel in Paradise Lost

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

After taking some time off from acting to follow his brother-in-law around in an attempt to make some dopey documentary, Casey Affleck is ready to return to the big screen. He has a supporting role in this November’s TOWER HEIST and now has added a big-budget action film to his list. Affleck will star as Gabriel in Alex Proyas’ action-heavy adaptation of PARADISE LOST.

The younger Affleck joins the already cast Bradley Cooper, Ben Foster and Djimon Hounsou in the tale of Michael and Gabriel (Foster and Cooper), two angels from heaven who team up to take on Lucifer (Cooper) after he rebels against God.

The last time we saw angels fighting in an action movie was the unfortunate LEGION, which also features Gabriel and Michael (but in that film they were fighting against each other and possessed people). Proyas’ version will stay a little closer to Milton’s original text, or at least as close as you can hew to a blank verse poem from the 17th century.

It’s kind of a shame that Affleck had been doing some really affecting work in movies like THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES and THE KILLER INSIDE ME and now, after returning to acting, is taking on big studio affairs.

PARADISE is prepping a January 2012 shoot in Australia (Proyas’ home base) and Legendary Pictures is hoping for a big summer 2013 release.