Ben Affleck will ‘Live by Night’ to kick off busy year
Next up: ‘Batman’ and ‘Justice League’
When you’re Ben Affleck, New Year challenges start with what to wear for the next work gig.
Besides his Live by Night passion project opening nationwide Friday (after a limited run in December for awards consideration), Affleck, 44, also plans to direct himself in a solo Batman movie — all the trickier with that cumbersome batsuit.
“I know what’s it’s like to be in the suit,” says Affleck, pondering the notion at the Beverly Hilton. “We’ll have to modify the suit to make it a little bit easier to put on and take off. When you are in it, you can be sweating, crazy and exhausted, do your part and walk away. But when you’re a director, you can’t walk away. You have to be there for everybody.
“Chief among the challenges of doing Batman, will be finding a suit that’s more comfortable,” he says.
That’s just the clothing consideration for 2017. Here’s why it’s shaping up to be such a big year for Affleck. ‘LIVE BY NIGHT’ IS ALL AFFLECK Affleck tapped into his formidable Hollywood clout to write, direct, produce and star in the sprawling gangster drama Live by Night. “I wanted to bring to life that wonderful, magical feeling when
you watch those movies. They don’t make movies like this anymore,” Affleck says.
Live by Night has struggled in limited release (with no major awards nominations and just $178,000 in box office after two weeks on four screens) and enters a crowded national market this weekend. He’s happy to share credit if Night turns into a hit.
But Affleck knows it’s his name all over it if the film doesn’t.
“It’s hard for me to blame this movie on anyone else,” Affleck says wryly, inhaling on a cigarette. “If it doesn’t work, I don’t have a culprit diagnosed.” HIS ‘BATMAN’ MAY OR MAY NOT TAKE FLIGHT THIS YEAR There have been mixed signals about his Batman movie, with Va
riety reporting last month that Affleck was set to shoot this spring.
Affleck now says there’s no set start date since he’s still working on a script. It looks to be his next project — or not, depending upon when the script is perfected.
“Superhero movies get the level of attention that is nothing like any film I’ve done. You cast the 14th lead in these movies and the Internet goes crazy,” Affleck says. “I understand and embrace that. That’s part of the pressure that comes with doing it. That’s why I am not going to do it, unless I really feel confident about it.
“But when that day comes, should that day come, I’m sure that’s going to be the most pressure, the most stress I have ever experienced in my professional life,” he says. “There’s no doubt.”
HE HAS ‘JUSTICE LEAGUE’ OPENING IN NOVEMBER Affleck overcame casting controversy to earn solid reviews as Batman in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
The Zack Snyder-directed film was critically slammed, but made $873 million worldwide. Affleck will have to step up further as the caped superhero team leader in Snyder’s Justice League (in theaters Nov. 17).
“It’s big. He has to show he’s the Batman fans will follow now and in future solo movies,” says Erik Davis, managing editor of Fandango.com and Movies.com.