Ben Affleck Lands First Big Gig Directing Since Jennifer Garner Divorce

Ben Affleck’s 10-year marriage to Jennifer Garner may be over, but the actor has more than enough on his plate to keep him busy and distracted. The 42-year-old, who is slated to play Batman in “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,” has landed another major gig — this time both on camera and behind the lens.

According to Variety, Warner Bros. has greenlit Affleck’s next project, “Live By Night.” He will reportedly star in and direct the film which is said to be based on a crime novel written by Dennis Lehane. The film will also star Elle Fanning, Sienna Miller and Zoe Saldana. Affleck has reportedly been discussing doing “Live By Night” for quite some time, but finally feels he has the time to move forward with production. Warner Bros. has given the film an Oct. 2016 release date, though it appears that is subject to change.

In addition to directing “Live By Night,” Affleck is said to be co-writing and directing a standalone Batman film. He will do so alongside DC Comics chief creative officer Geoff Johns. There are few details known about the film, but it is widely believed the plot will take from the events of “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice” and the “Justice League” movie. It has been reported that Affleck will wait to begin production on the Batman film until he has wrapped “Live By Night.”

While that may seem like a hefty workload, this isn’t Affleck’s first directorial rodeo. The Boston-native starred in and directed “Argo” and “Gone Baby Gone.” Although he is slated to star in numerous films hitting theaters in 2016, he is not currently working on any. According to ScreenRant, Affleck and the crew wrapped filming for “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice” in December 2014. He was only committed to one other film, “The Accountant,” which finished filming in the spring.

Production for “Live By Night” is slated to begin in November. He is said to be perfecting the script in preparation for production.