Ben Affleck and Matt Damon to reunite for American Revolution movie
The two actors and friends could be set to reteam for a historical movie about the American Revolutionary War, reports Deadline. Ben Affleck is apparently tipped to direct this big-screen reenactment of the Battle of Bunker Hill, with Matt Damon on the cast.
The upcoming feature film, in development at Warner Bros., is inspired by the true story of events that occurred in Boston in 1775 during the first years of the American Revolution, a war of independence waged to overthrow the authority of Great Britain. The plot focuses mainly on Bunker Hill, the bloodiest battle of the era that saw over 200 Crown soldiers killed.
Matt Damon is reportedly lined up for the lead role, playing Joseph Warren, a doctor and soldier who went on to become the leader of the Patriots -- the name given to the colonial rebels -- who died on the battlefield at Bunker Hill on June 17, 1775. Other key roles include that of Paul Revere, another revolutionary Patriot, plus Thomas Gage and General Howe, commanders of the British forces.
Back on track
This historical movie has actually been in the pipeline at Warner since 2013, when the studio acquired the movie rights to Nathaniel Philbrick's book "Bunker Hill: A City, A Siege, A Revolution." At the time, screenwriting was assigned to Chris Terrio, who also wrote the screenplay for Ben Affleck's Oscar-winning picture "Argo." Terrio has since penned other movies featuring the Hollywood star, such as "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" and "The Justice League: Part One."
However, the project is now in the hands of Aaron Stockard, another of Ben Affleck's faithful collaborators, who wrote the first two movies directed by the star, "Gone Baby Gone" and "The Town."
Busy times for Ben Affleck
The question now is when Ben Affleck will find the time to direct this movie. In a few days, he'll be stepping back into his Batman costume to start filming "The Justice League: Part One," due out November 17, 2017, in the US. In parallel, Affleck is reportedly drafting the screenplay for a caped crusader reboot, which he may direct, while also working on the post-production of his latest film, "Live by Night," scheduled for release in autumn 2017.
Matt Damon is currently busy filming the comedy-drama "Downsizing," directed by Alexander Payne, alongside Christoph Waltz, Kristen Wiig, Alec Baldwin and Neil Patrick Harris. In October, Damon will be reunited with George Clooney for his sixth feature film, "Suburbicon." Written by the Coen brothers, this crime mystery is also set to star Josh Brolin, Julianne Moore and Oscar Isaac.
