How long can you wait for the next directorial effort from Ben Affleck? Moreover, how long can Warner Bros. wait? Well, it would appear they’re erring on giving the Oscar winning actor/director as much time as possible rather than trying to rush him into a release date.
While I was down at the Savannah Film Festival or week or so back, I had heard rumblings that Affleck (or his people) were quietly in town doing location scouting for his Prohibition era drama “Live By Night.” Soon, Savannah Connect revealed that extras—“hundreds of 1920s period looking males and females of all ages and ethnicities, especially Irish, Scottish, British, German, Cuban and Spanish looking people”—were being sought for the production. And indeed, not long after, Sandra Alessi Casting confirmed a production start of September 2014, which was in sync with previous reports that a fall 2014 shoot was in the works.
And thus, Warner Bros. has set the release date for his “Live By Night” for Christmas Day 2015, which certainly indicates they are thinking awards season. And why not? The project is based on the novel by Dennis Lehane, and the story centers on Joe Coughlin, the son of a cop who finds himself slipping into a life of organized crime. As he climbs the ladder of the underworld, he journeys from Tampa to Cuba, encounters various dames, lowlifes and more in tale of revenge and redemption. So, we figure Affleck will slip on the cape and cowl for “Batman Vs. Superman” in early 2014, and once he’s done, get cracking on “Live By Night.”
Meanwhile, the studio has also slated the Clint Eastwood-directed musical “Jersey Boys“ with a prime time June 20, 2014 release. The last time WB gambled with a Broadway hit adaptation in the dead of summer? “Rock Of Ages.” Good luck guys. [Deadline]