Batman director: Ben Affleck’s script for standalone Batman movie was scrapped

1st Annual AutFest International Film Festival
Amidst all of Ben Affleck’s personal drama playing out in the press there’s the issue of his professional life, which sounds similarly messy. Affleck has waffled quite a bit as to whether the solo Batman movie is still happening. The last we heard he was committed to playing the character again, but has officially dropped out of directing. He was working on a script with DC co-writers Geoff Johns and Chris Terrio, but the movie’s new director, Matt Reeves (Cloverfield, Dawn of the Planet of The Apes), has just confirmed that it’s been thrown out. It’s unclear the way it’s phrased, but it sounds like Reeves is writing his own script from scratch, maybe with some help. We know Reeves is a talented director, but can he write too? He was a writer on Felicity, wrote a remake of the exceptional Swedish horror film Let The Right One In called Let Me In, and most recently wrote the screenplay for War of The Planet of The Apes, which is standing at 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. (Can’t wait to see that.) Here’s Reeve’s statement, and there have been rumors for a while that the script was being scrapped. (There are also conflicting reports as to how close to completion it was.)

When asked if he would be working with Affleck’s script, Reeves said, “No, it’s a new story. It’s just starting again. I’m excited about it. I think it’s going to be really cool.”

Reeves, whose War for the Planet of the Apes hits theaters this weekend, has previously said that Affleck will remain as the Dark Knight in the upcoming film and that he is planning a noir take on the character. In the original script, Deathstroke was the villain, with Joe Manganiello cast. (Reeves did not say if he plans on using Deathstroke in his script.)

Affleck is set to appear at San Diego Comic-Con next week during Warner Bros.’ Hall H panel, which will feature his Justice League co-stars. He will don the cape and cowl in the superhero team-up, which is due out in theaters Nov. 17.

[From The Hollywood Reporter]

So what happened exactly? Was this a a blow to Affleck’s ego and/or does he want out of this project anyway? I would say that the issues with Batman may explain some of Affleck’s acting out, but it’s six to one as to his problems. Live by Night was a flop, he went to rehab in March and yet he doesn’t look sober lately. Maybe he is, but he doesn’t look it.

Also, Kaiser pointed out to me that it’s possible “Wonder Woman’s success threw everything in the DC Universe in disarray” and that they realized that “Batman is this super-valuable property and they can’t f-k around with Affleck’s dumbass anymore.” (I don’t think she meant for me to publish that verbatim but I’m doing it anyway.)

I’m just waiting for Affleck and Garner’s next move. On Wednesday night Garner went out with Chelsea Handler to Giorgio Baldi, The Italian restaurant where Affleck was first photographed with Lindsay Shookus. It turns out that in a 2009 interview with Bon Appetit, Garner called that restaurant her favorite. She said “I wait all year to have their white truffle risotto.” She didn’t wait for white truffle season to eat there this time.

Single Jennifer Garner has a Girls Night Out with Chelsea Handler

Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck take their children to July 4th Celebration Parade

BGUS_916824_001_edited-12-682x1024

Photos credit: WENN and Backgrid

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

81 Responses to “Batman director: Ben Affleck’s script for standalone Batman movie was scrapped”

Comments are Closed

We close comments on older posts to fight comment spam.

  1. lolamd says:

    Wow he is starting to look like Jon Favreau

  2. nemera34 says:

    I will forever wonder why Ben took on the role as Batman. From the start it just looked like once he said yes he regretted it. He has looked depressed and like he is being dragged through it all. This could be a good thing for him in the end. Do the last movie and be done. He isn’t the first Batman and we all know he won’t be the last

    • Jeesie says:

      He took it because he wasn’t happy just being a lauded director. He wants to be a true movie star, at the very top of the game. He wants an iconic role.

      • Nicole says:

        Agreed plus look what it did for Bale (not that he needed it) and Nolan (didn’t need it either). Endless praise and they kicked off the darker Superhero movie trend. He wanted that same magic and probably wanted to be the tentpole for DC the way RDJ is for Marvel

      • nemera34 says:

        I’m not into the Super Hero films. I just remember when Actors became ICONIC for their body of work. The years go by and they reboot these films so much. I do think that maybe he thought that doing a super hero thing was the next thing to check off on a list in his head. I just thing for so many of them taking these roles just stagnates them. It just destroys them in a way. Most of them are never the same on Film.

      • Dem says:

        We have entered a new age of cinema. The movies that yield the most assured profits are comic book films and franchises. So thats where the money is for actors and everybody else and these are the movies getting greenlit now. An actor who wants to keep working smaller movies probably does need to attach himself to a franchise now because that studio deal allows you to get your passion projects greenlit. Just look at the kind of names Universal wrangled for their Monsters universe or the number of “serious actors” attached to Marvel. This is the new Hollywood.

  3. Ruyana says:

    He seems to have messed up his life in every way possible.

  4. astrid says:

    Wow, how far they’ve both fallen….

    • LadyT says:

      Both? Affleck is clearly in one of his downward spirals. Lindsay is in a losing situation. Garner is just fine. Not perfect but who is?

      • Luca76 says:

        TBH I think Lindsay is doing just fine. She may or may not last with Affleck but her business is behind the scenes. No one cares at work who she’s sleeping with.

  5. Margo S. says:

    Affleck doesn’t look so AT ALL. He only went to rehab to try and save his marriage. It didn’t work so why stay sober?

    And yes. If they eff up Batman, everyone at WB is getting fired. Affleck is a mediocre actor and director. We all know it. I agree that WW changed everything.

    • Jayna says:

      Why would he go to rehab to save his marriage? They separated officially two years and two months ago, and actually two months or more before the official announcement. They have consistently said they are not back together over these past years and that they were working on co-parenting.

      I think it’s more likely he went to rehab because he was so out of control, probably depressed after his flop, and so did it to clean up for professional reasons, but more importantly, regarding any child custody issues, being alone with the kids, etc. That’s where Jen would have put her foot down as far as him getting help or else it would affect his time with the children.

      The marriage has been over for years, since they separated in 2015. They didn’t just separate three months ago.

      But I agree. He does not look sober.

      • Tina says:

        I always thought the rehab was for custody too. He was a total mess on the Live By Night tour, supposedly Montana was a disaster, and then we saw the sober nurse. He looked beyond sick then. I wonder how Lindsay liked the way he acted with Sienna Miller. It was so gross. Kind of like his behavior with the reporter years ago. He looked great at Easter but that is about it.

      • Nyawira says:

        Rehab was definitely Jennifer related. Whether that’s because she threatened to challenge custody or whether he was trying to maintain status quo is the only question. The second is just as likely as the first. For someone who supposedly wanted out, Ben was in no hurry to cut the apron strings. People claimed he was avoiding bad PR but look at him now, he is hardly employing finese. Bens dream is a wife for stability, a mistress for emotional stroking and girlfriends for sex, and everybody accepting each other

      • B says:

        I totally believe the rehab was a last ditch effort to save the marriage.

    • LearningtheSystem says:

      Yeah, remember the “Jennifer is going to file for divorce” stuff that came out right before he went? I think that was letting him know that, if he didn’t get to rehab, she would file for sole custody. I also believe his fear of how that would look prompted the run to rehab – and not the idea he would only have the kids part time. Finally, I believe he was angry at her for making him do that, and for him having to go public with the issue because too many tabs had the info on it. He appears to still be in the denial stage.

      • The Original G says:

        Deny him custody based on what? He’s spent the past years living in the guest house with direct access?

      • LearningtheSystem says:

        It’s just about legal standing – see Jolie/Pitt. If he exhibited serious issues, it would warrant a special arrangement in custody. That’s true where I live, and I assume in California, as well.

  6. Luca76 says:

    I really can’t help from laughing at this. I mean I feel sorry for their kids but really this is just so delicious and embarrassing.

  7. Amelia says:

    What a POS. Yesterday after JG was seen at that Italian restaurant, I thought she was childish. But damn, to take your mistress turned gf to your soon to be ex wife’s fav restaurant. That’s cold. Not that it’s right, but I would’ve done what she did too.

    And Kaisers right. Verbatim and all lol

    • Luca76 says:

      I just think they should just stop. He’s obvious scum but they have kids to consider. She needs to stop feeding the flame. The solution to his scumminess wasn’t to do a tit for tat. The solution is just to let him tantrum and burn himself out. Basically this guy is heading down the same path as Johnny Depp,and Brad Pitt.

      • Ramona says:

        It doesnt matter how dead you are on the inside, having to see your ex take his former mistress to your favorite date restaurant is hurtful. This place that held fond memories now starts to bring a lump to your throat. You start to avoid it and before you know it it comes to embody the lowest period of your life. Its a dangerous rut. Dont we all know someone who wont use a certain route home or go to a certain cinema or wear certain old clothes because they are now occupied by this sad memory in their life. I’m glad she went and quickly took back her favorite space. Its no accident that he debuted Shookus here, it was intended to hurt. Her message was “yes it hurt Ben but see me get my girls together and rehabilitate this too”. As for high roads, sure. Sometimes its important but other times self care and being heard are more important.

        I was just reading through yesterdays posts and someone pointed out that he has probably been trying to keep both women and its Jen who has put an end to it all. I agree and think this confirms it. Why else would he debut his gf at his exes favorite restaurant of all places? Spite.

      • Luca76 says:

        Nowhere did I say that it doesn’t hurt. I still believe she should take her hurt out of the public eye and not feed the press frenzy. He is a narcissist and the only way to beat a narcissist is to stop feeding them. There isn’t any self care involved in publicly warring. She won’t win. They will just keep battling ala Cibrian/Rimes/Granville or the RoadRunner and Wiley Coyote and the kids have to suffer through it.
        She should absolutely for her own self care take the high road and she will be thankful in the long run if she doesn’t sink to his level.

      • LearningtheSystem says:

        Maybe now that the truth is out about Lindsey, she will. I agree, she does need to take the kids and go somewhere and just relax for a while, outside of that toxic area.

      • Nyawira says:

        I don’t see taking your girls to your favourite restaurant as public warring. I see it as asserting yourself having been so publicly disrespected. Public warring is making public filings in a divorce case and implying that attempts to seal it are intended to protect the adult and not the children. This one is nowhere near warring, it’s just defending your boundaries.

    • KB says:

      People were saying it was their date night restaurant so I googled it for photos and all I could find were photos of her there throughout the years. Usually with girlfriends. Maybe it’s because of my googling skills because I know he went there, but not nearly as much as her. I think he picked that place to spite her. I still think it’s best for her to ignore his antics, but I understand her desire to answer back.

      • LadyT says:

        I agree KB.

      • Carol says:

        @KB
        E News last night showed a pic of Jen & Ben going there for Valentine’s Day

      • The Original G says:

        Knowing now, that they’ve been dunzo for years and the family has been performing for the paps, it’s entirely possible that the Valentine’s Day meal was a pap walk as well.

    • kibbles says:

      I agree. People were going hard on Garner for going to Giorgio Baldi out of pettiness. It’s Affleck who was being petty first. And I totally know how it feels although what happened to me was not nearly as bad as what Affleck did to Garner.

      I once went on a date with a guy and told him about an Italian restaurant in town that I loved. He had not heard anything about it but said we could go there on our next date. That next date never came. I was at the Italian restaurant for my birthday and saw this asshole with his new girlfriend. He saw me and quickly left with his new girl soon after. I am not saying that I am the only person allowed to go to that restaurant because it was a favorite, but it was almost jaw dropping to see him there after not having the respect to contact me again but taking another woman to the place I told him about.

      Think about what Garner must have felt. It’s her favorite Italian restaurant, she has good memories there from nights out with her close friends and with Affleck. She is even QUOTED in a magazine stating that it is her favorite restaurant. Then Affleck takes his former mistress there? What a slap in the face. I am glad Garner went there and I hope she continues to go there for dinner. The wrong thing to do is for Garner to stop going to that restaurant because Affleck staked claim on it by introducing the world to his mistress there.

  8. Carolkoi says:

    Even if Ben’s script was good, do u honestly think Matt Reeves wouldn’t want to put his spin on It?
    I can’t figure out how Ben found the time to do all this what with secretly dating Lindsay, being on pap strolls / vacations with Jen & the kids, and promoting his movies. No wonder he looks bad!

  9. Insomniac says:

    Wow, a noir take on Batman. How original. *yawn*

  10. Kaiser says:

    I don’t mind if you quote me, CB! I’m surprised you didn’t use my quote about “Zac Snyder’s stupid Lens Flare School of Superheroing isn’t getting it done and now, post-WW, Warner Bros wants to start taking this sh-t seriously.”

    • Celebitchy says:

      I liked that quote too! I just was lazy and didn’t put it all in.

      • Izzy says:

        If someone starts a petition to just totally recast the role of Batman, I’m in. Kaiser is right, WB does need to start taking this ish seriously. They’ve ruined everything else except Wonder Woman, and I’m starting to wonder (no pun intended) if they simply took extra care with that because they were genuinely afraid of pissing off so many women. I would have mean-Tweeted them for MONTHS if they had effed up WW. I’ve already mean-Tweeted them about Marvel in the past. I am not afraid to throw down when it comes to Zack Snyder and his obsession with making all the set designs look like testicles. (Not kidding; see: Man of Steel, The Watchmen.)

    • LadyT says:

      Both quotes are right on the money.

  11. Jeesie says:

    This isn’t news. Ben said he wouldn’t direct if he didn’t like his script, and he’s not directing. Then when Reeves was announced it was stated he had his own vision for a new Batman film.

    Affleck’s script was dumped ages ago.

  12. Christin says:

    From a financial perspective, JG would have likely been better off to have finalized a divorce at least a year ago. Every month that passes is just more risk of booze, women and gambling expenses that may not be offset by his income anymore.

    • The Original G says:

      I’m suspecting that she locked down the money a long time ago. She’s reportedly worth 60 million in her own right.

    • elle says:

      I sort of wondered…

      If Ben recently buying (not just one but) two $250k Bentleys was a sign he’s squandering money/getting what he wants before they settle the divorce (the timing seems interesting) and Jen gets some of that Batman cash, the houses, other cars, and everything else.

      And then there’s that private plane sent by the Sands Casino last weekend only for the million-dollar high-rollers. (This is like David Milch but much bigger and much, much worse.) Relapse is common in the first year, but moreso with enablers and multiple addictions.

      I really wish Ben would go back to rehab soon, this time for longer – and for himself.

      • Ramona says:

        Is this the private jet he was pictured boarding recently? The captioning claimed he was taking a jet to see Shookus but I had my doubts as to how real that was. Its hardly a sustainable arrangement. Makes much more sense if its a Casino complimentary.

      • elle says:

        Yes, Ben’s sources in People openly revealed they went to Vegas, and X17 said the jet was from The Sands, though it appears Lindsay flew commercial out of LAX the day before…

        As for their Beech St Cafe date the other night, People (ie, Ben’s sources again) in more such exciting news, after telling us that they took home leftovers, said: “She acted like he’s the funniest ever. He loves the attention.”

        So I think these two items pretty well sum up how Ben really feels about Lindsay.

      • LearningtheSystem says:

        In an interview with someone about The Town, Ben was all giddy about Blake, excited about how when he was showing her where Matt grew up in Boston, he was shocked she had no idea of his relationship with Matt. We all know she was playing/flirting and he apparently had no clue, and I was a little embarrassed for him watching him retell that story, because he believed even at that time she was being genuine. I think he is easily taken by those little flirty attentions. Real world, daily life, eh, probably not so much.

  13. Caroline says:

    It takes so much negative energy to be in a passive aggressive relationship. I can’t imagine how exhausting it would be mentally!

  14. Nicole says:

    I’m laughing because it couldn’t happen to a better douchebag

    • Sass says:

      Ben has gone full circle, back to when he being called a sh*t actor, remember?Hollywood is not taking him seriously or….enabled by substances and other enablers…….
      Maybe JG doesn’t give a crap about Ben going to that restaurant and laughs about his pettiness? Did Ben get takeaway or was that doggy bags…?

  15. holly hobby says:

    I honestly think the Batman and Superman franchises are a big yawn. I tried watching both reboots plus the one where Wonder Woman shows up. I could never finish them. I fell asleep every.single.time. On the other hand Wonder Woman was great. Not a dull moment at all. They should hire the scriptwriters of WW to write up the Batman and Superman films. Or maybe it’s the actors? Ben and Henry are meh in my books. Compared to Christian Bale and Christopher Reeves.

    • nemera34 says:

      I grew up on the Christopher Reeves Superman and liked the first Bale Superman.. Reeves superman was clumsy and sweet. Goofy and Bale of course was humorless and dark. Just a lone soul.

      I wish they could have let the Affleck one be somewhere in the middle. That they could have brought in some humor. I just think with Ben’s life going so Dark is not good for him.

    • Mannori says:

      I think the biggest fuck up was Snyder’s trying to replicate Marvel’s model with totally different (and more valuable and famous ) bunch of superheroes in his hands. These mega blockbusters where 20 superheroes show up are too much of everything. He has incredible possibilities with every single one of them but he threw everything away by being greedy and messy: those mix ups work well with Marvel because their superheroes were not massively know to the wide audience, but nobody wants Superman Batman and Wonder Woman sharing screen time, specially with a weak, awful script and story.

  16. PettyRiperton says:

    Just find another guy to play batman didn’t like it when it was first announced still don’t.

    • Mannori says:

      It could be time for a black Batman? Mahershala Ali, directed by David Fincher: boom!

  17. Pam_L says:

    It’s so wrong to say this but their son still looks more like Matt Damon than Ben and Jen.

  18. Adele Dazeem says:

    Hello karma. Nice to meet you. I like the way you work.

  19. minx says:

    He looks so puffy and dissipated.

  20. Avery says:

    Out of allllllll the restaurants to go to he takes his mistress to his ex-wife’s favorite restaurant. Where he KNEW he would be papped. Cold.

    • Carolinr says:

      Yes! That was a deliberate, passive aggressive move on his part! When Ben wants to fly under the radar he can! Lindsay Shookus among others is proof of that!

      • Lauren II says:

        My Ex did the same thing as Ben. Took his lover to all the same restaurants he took me when we were married.
        I didn’t care. He married his lover, and cheats on her too. You cannot control selfish men. All you can do is control how you react to their behavior.
        Jen is obviously pissed off, but Ben has been misbehaving for years. Ben looks bloated, sloppy and unhealthy. Lindsay can be Ben’s babysitter now. What a Mess.

  21. Mandy says:

    I will never understand why he got casted as Batman. Who made the choice, Zack Snyder of WB? Batman is not an alcoholic, gambler and asshole. He ruined Batman for me. I think Batman fans and comic book lovers will still blindly support every Batman movie. While I hate his Batman and Zack Snyder with a passion.

    • LearningtheSystem says:

      That was years ago, and at that time, he was at the peak and still rising, both as an actor and a director. He was attractive and charismatic. There was a lot of gossip about his activities while in Detroit filming, though, and it was just before the filming that he got caught out in LV for card counting. It seems that about that time is when his addictions started overtaking him and the very poor reviews of that movie (but his being tied to finish out the role because WB) is just continuing to fuel the spiral. It does appear the dew is off the roses as far as his and WB’s relationship though. There were also lots of gossip items about more of his bad behavior while Live-By-Night was filming and I think they know why it tanked like it did.

  22. Mannori says:

    Studios can be the biggest ass lickers to stars to just discard them unceremoniously the minute they’re not “hot” anymore. It happens all the time, behind closed doors. He obviously has lost lot of star power in the last year or so and the reason is a mix of professional and personal fuckups. He’s still bankable though, as the sequel for the awful The Accountant shows, but as a director he’s not hot shit anymore, all he has now is to make a good Batman, as an actor, and find the right project as a director/writer to make his Phoenix (LOL) comeback.from the ashes…ugh…white dudes in Hollywood…so easy for them.

    Have you guys seen Hollywoodland? he was playing himself (or maybe he’s playing George Reeves now in his real life?…mmm…)

    • Ana says:

      There is no script yet for the second Accountant movie. It is still under development. There is still a possibility that it will not materialize as a movie, especially with Ben having a lot of issues. However, there is a movie on his IMDB profile that will go in production soon, Triple Frontier. There were a lot of famous actors attached to this project previously but removed themselves. And now, they just settled to having Ben. Heard it wasn’t a good script. As always with Ben, we can expect his famous sex scenes. Also, I cant really see him as an action star. I tried but it looks awkward on him.

      • JoJo says:

        Famous sex scenes? Outside of Gone Girl, I wouldn’t exactly think of Ben Affleck for notable sex or even nudity scenes. Both he and Matt actually always seem really awkward in sex scenes, and I fell like they’re usually really minimal compared to other actors.

      • Ana says:

        True Jojo. He looks awkward doing those scenes as well.

  23. Kersplasha says:

    Every time i see that grey shirt i wonder is it the design? Or did he sweat through it/get sprayed with something. Just looks gross

  24. Meg says:

    Him and his brother seem to have deep seeded issues. Between Caseys clear issues with women and Ben who I think will have a public falling out as bad as Mel Gibson’s after his divorce because their wives we’re holding everything together- they seem like really screwed up men

    • LearningtheSystem says:

      Kids growing up in the environment they have described often come out like this. I would imagine that is why Jen fought so hard to help Ben get/stay clean – so it wouldn’t replicate in their kids. Hopefully, he’ll manage this on his own.

    • holly hobby says:

      I think I read his father was troubled. There were articles about the father leaving the family and he had alcohol abuse issues.

  25. Carol says:

    Jennifer got the best part of Ben and they are called Violet, Serafina, and Samuel!! He did make cute kids!!!

  26. Jayna says:

    You know, there’s no reason to look like a complete slob when going out to dinner. I check Ben’s twitter every once in a while. I thought he was looking good when he was in the Congo a few weeks ago for his charity. What happened to that Ben? You can see several photos of him over there as you scroll down, and he looks nice and healthy, not drunk and a slob.

    https://twitter.com/benaffleck

  27. Carolinr says:

    I once heard a great saying:
    If u have to Sneak to do It, Lie to cover it up,or Delete it to avoid it being seen, then you probably Shouldn’t be doing it!

  28. Carolkoi says:

    I was looking at the pap video of Ben & Lindsay in London. They/She wanted to get caught Ben got out of a car right in front and here comes Lindsay practically running across the street while the paps were front & center!
    Did anyone notice her pink sweater is very similar to the one Jen wore while taking her children to church a couple of weeks ago?

  29. Buckley says:

    Alls been said…but Samuel is beautiful!

  30. Luci Lu says:

    About two more loaded double-cheese burgers Ben, and you automatically lose your leading man status.

  31. Caroline says:

    So much for Lindsay being the “non-Hollywood” Girl! If the alleged rumors are true (which I bet they are) Lindsay dated Chirs Noth as well as John Hamm. If she dated John Hamm, then she may have come between Jon and Jennifer Westfeld! (Jon was with Jennifer for i believe 18 yrs.)
    Now that Jennifer Garner revealed the truth, people are going to digging up a lot on her