Ben Affleck has joined the cast of Mike Judge’s “Extract,” a workin’ for-the-man comedy that already stars Jason Bateman, Kristen Wiig and Mila Kunis. Well-recognizable character actor Clifton Collins Jr. has also joined the cast.
The story is about the professional problems at a flower extracting plant and focuses on the factory owner (Bateman) who’s dealing with a streak of bad luck and accidents on the job (including his wife’s affair with a gigolo). Affleck will play an ambulance chasing lawyer (someone call Borat!).
Though many would disagree, Judge is long overdue for a hit and hasn’t directed many films in the last ten years. The much beloved, “Office Space” was in 1999 and the grossly overrated “Idiocracy,” went straight to video for good reason (the cult following behind this are probably also big Kevin Smith fans; people, it’s got a great set-up, but tanks after fifteen minutes).
It might seem that Affleck’s been pretty quiet in Hollywood outside of directing “Gone Baby Gone,” but he actually already has two films in the can, the political thriller, “State Of Play” (which Brad Pitt dropped out of first) and Warner Bros. adaptation of the ladies self-esteem/self-help book, “He’s Just Not That Into You.” “Extract” will probably bow out some time in 2009.
