Update: a contradictory report is coming from Deadline, saying that Affleck’s reps have denied the possibility of him taking the gig. According to this new information, he’ll still meet with the studio heads to hear them out but already passed on the script a few days ago.
Having made a film that was both a critical and financial success (THE TOWN) for Warner Bros, with another film releasing in the near future (ARGO) and another actively in the works (THE STAND), Ben Affleck is certainly riding high in the studio’s good graces. Having him take on THE STAND shows a fair amount of trust for a director who has heretofore only worked with stories that are told in a more contained capacity, so it’s not altogether surprising that they may be willing to have him shepherd their premiere property into existence.
The word is that Affleck is currently the only potential director to have received Will Beall’s script, and will presumably be meeting with the studio sooner rather than later to discuss this rather monumental undertaking. Helming JUSTICE LEAGUE would place Affleck at the nexus of DC’s new cinematic universe, a position which would bear a great deal of responsibility and take up a great deal of time.
Besides all of this directing talk, Affleck is also considering starring in a sci-fi drama called REPLAY about “a man who dies and gets the chance to relive his life over and over again, changing partners and professions each time.” All in all Affleck has a wide variety of opportunities on hand, and being a huge fan of his recent acting/directing work I’m very excited to see what career path he chooses for himself.
This all being said, if Affleck were to take JUSTICE LEAGUE I would imagine that THE STAND will fall by the wayside for the time being – would you be okay with that, or would you prefer THE STAND to a big screen JUSTICE LEAGUE?