Many of you have Gaffleck exhaustion, which is understandable. Just know that as a professional gossip I find their PR-orchestrated divorce fascinating. This is one of the most controlled publicity blitzes I’ve ever seen. There is an entire dream team behind the scenes making this happen, and it serves two purposes: to preserve Jennifer Garner’s wholesome mom image, which she capitalizes on, and to further the career of a guy who is about to run his own franchise. Deadline just announced that Affleck will co-write, direct and star in his own Batman movie. He’s working on the script with DC Comics’s chief creative officer Geoff Johns, and it’s expected to be completed by the end of the summer. This fall, Affleck will be directing the film Live By Night, based on the book by Dennis Lehan (Gone Baby, Gone, Shutter Island, Mystic River). He’ll work on his Batman movie once that’s completed. Damn he sounds busy. Here’s part of Deadline’s report:
I’m told that Ben Affleck is teaming up with Geoff Johns to co-write a stand-alone Batman movie that Affleck will direct and star in after he completes his longstanding plan to helm his scripted adaptation of the Dennis Lehane novel Live By Night. Johns has about as much comic cred as anybody around. He’s DC Comics’ chief creative officer and has written some of its best remembered comic book series including Green Lantern, Aquaman, Batman, Justice League, The Flash and Superman. He also has written TV series superhero transfers Smallville, Arrow and The Flash, as well as the Supergirl project with Greg Berlanti for CBS.
So this is what it’s all about, and this announcement is timed to coincide with Comic-Con, where Affleck will appear on Saturday and is scheduled to interact with fans. Speaking of interacting with fans, E! has photos of Affleck posing with some thrilled ladies outside an Atlanta museum yesterday, where he took his oldest daughter, Violet, 9. He was still wearing his wedding ring, which tells us that he’s just pushing this “devastated, not over it” agenda.
I’ll cover US Weekly vs. People Magazine’s print edition coverage of this divorce a little later today!
Photo agency Pacific Coast News recently posted these photos of Ben and Jennifer’s estate. Holy. Crap.
Photos of Ben out with his daughters are from 6-2-15. Credit: Kai, PacificCoastNews
Good to see how much they care about the drought and water conservation.
It’s possible these photos are old, just FYI. They’re being posted now by the agency due to the divorce, I will look to see if they list the original date they were taken. -edit yes the photos are from February 19, 2010.
Didn’t think of that possibility thanks!!!
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD…..WHY???????????????
Eeeer….vanity? Y’all laughed at his Daredevil, now he will prove to you once and for all that Ben Affleck is the greatest superhero of all time even if he has to write, direct and produce it himself. And somewhere under his slavery-loving wife’s shadow, Ryan Reynolds is getting ideas. Damn Ben Affleck.
I said this on another site earlier, this is a wasted opportunity to invest in Wonder Woman. Ben is an unimpressive actor, he belongs behind the camera. In any case, he really is too old to play him beyond that one movie.
DC should have pulled ahead of Marvel by getting the first properly done female superhero off the ground. Let Ben write and direct that. We know they wont pump in a large budget for a mere female super hero and that’s great since Ben does best with smaller movies anyway. Stupid studio. Stupid vain Affleck. Poor Batman and Wonder woman.
I really don’t think Ben is the guy to write for a woman. Or run a female superhero movie franchaise. Maybe if it was about strippers.
They do have a Wonder Woman movie in the works, and it will be directed by a woman (Patty Jenkins), which is great. Assuming everything stays on schedule, DC will get a female superhero off the ground before Marvel. I am wary of the Justice League stuff because of Hack Snyder’s involvement, but Warner Brothers has obviously prioritized diversity in their DC movies, which Marvel is still being stupid about, and I am curious to see what they do with silly characters like Aquaman. We have no way of telling how Wonder Woman will turn out (I am not encouraged by Gal Gadot’s “acting”), but it sounds like Warner Bros *is* giving the movie a big budget and it will be a major tent pole release in 2017.
@Algernon Thanks. I had no idea. I’ll look up the director.
@Lori Excellent point. I take it back, stay away from Wonder Woman Ben.
Honestly, I don’t think he wanted Wonder Woman. I think the property is too outside his wheelhouse and it’s too much of a gamble.
Bridget,
Funny you should use the word “gamble”…
Because when I saw this news about the stand-alone film yesterday, my immediate thought was: “Ah, so Ben’s doubling-down on Batman.”
If the Deadline piece is to be believed, the script should be very good, and Ben will direct, which brings me to my next thought about something you said on a previous thread about WB strong-arming him into Batman v Superman: Did he agree to it so that he could make Live By Night?
Side note: Recently, I was looking for a gift for my dad, a Boston-born guy who loves history, and since we’d recently been talking about his vacation to Sarasota, FL, and my interest in the Prohibition era, I decided to get him this Dennis Lehane novel. So I’m looking forward to the movie now – and glad that Ben chose this because I think he’ll do well by it.
And despite all our worry about his rumored H addiction, I feel now that somehow Ben will be juuust fine.
Chichi – I totally agree! Can’t believe we’re getting a batflek movie nobody wants but DC won’t invest in a Wonder Woman movie.
I’d say vanity. I’m also kind of shrugging already.
It would be one thing if no one had done a take on Batman but we’ve had two incredibly successful takes, Burton and Nolan. Hell Nolan’s reached a level of respect that comic book movies never had in the past…and did it while making billions. I just don’t see Affleck matching that. For example Jurassic World is a phenomenal success…but the director is not exactly being lauded. He’s fourth out of the gate. And if Affleck really messes up? Well the “demons” are going to be hard to “manage”.
I agree, comic books are not his friends, he is squandering his Oscar buzz on number how many in this bat franchise and there is no way he’ll make a movie good enough to overcome fan’s expectations or exceed the success of The Dark Knight. It’s a terrible decision on his part and instead of steering clear of this soon to be epic disaster movie, he’s digging in deeper and taking greater responsibility for its inevitable failure. I’m no great fan, but what is he thinking, this is a no win situation for him career wise. Way too much risk for what kind of boost to his career exactly, I’m sure he doesn’t know.
Agreed. I suppose they are attempting to give his upcoming movie more heft by making us believe that this isn’t some one-off stint as Bat-Man. Fair enough, but it isn’t exactly the greatest time to do so in light of the divorce news.
Side note: his steroid and PED use have given him an awkward, moob-ish, barrel-chested look that is in stark contract from the way he looked just 7 years ago. Granted, we all get older and have a tendency to put on a few more pounds, but….his workout routine, etc. should have seemingly countered that trend.
Well, I would rather see the full Batfleck’s Batfleck than Snyder’s Batfleck.
If he has to fall on his sword, he might as well go all in…
Is it weird that he’d announce it during comic con?
No it seems like a logical time to announce a superhero movie right isn’t that what comic con is about?
Seems like a logical time to me. And I actually think he could do a good job writing a Batman story. We know he can write or at least co-write a movie, and he’s friends with Kevin Smith (ugh.. I have issues with Kevin, but never mind), so they probably have some common interests. I bet he’s read a lot of comic books. He could be his Chasing Amy character in real life.
Not that we need another Batman and Batman picture. Not that it doesn’t look like DC’s movies are going to suck. Not that he’s a good person or in any way particularly admirable. But Comic-Con is an appropriate time to announce. Bonus for him if it pulls focus from the divorce.
What is the back story with Kevin smith? Did he maybe have feelings for jennifer garner and was upset Ben got her?
Seems logical to me! Plus he would do a good job. The Town remains one of my favorite movies he’s done. I have no doubt he could continue the darker Batman theme but different from Nolan’s take.
You’re a talented director, Ben (and believe me, it hurt to write that), but we already have three incredible Batman movies for the modern era. You’re not going to do better. No one wants this and you don’t need this.
I second that.
Step away from the Bat, sir!!
I thought this was what made Ben do the part.. that he would be directing one in the future .
So I was not surprised by the announcement nor the timing
Why announce now? I imagine it went something like this-
Sees numerous magazine headlines indicate that he cheated on Jennifer Garner during marriage…..
Thinks about potential impact on potential new Batman franchise…..
“Hey! Hey you guys!! I’m thinking about writing and directing new Batman movies! Remember how you all said I was a good director?? Look over here!! Please!!”
Or I could possibly be overthinking it. I have a very jaded view of how Hollywood makes its announcements. 🙂
And it also shows us in minivans that he is really busy, and about to get busier. SO this is really what went wrong with the marriage, he’s just really busy…..not that he’s a stripper chasing poon hound.
I might buy into this except that it’s Comic Con weekend, and this has probably been planned for quite some time. WB has a very big presence at CC this year, and this announcement would be part of it. This particular announcement probably has less to to do with J&B PR than WB’s.
Maybe Ben is not cut out to be a good husband, but if he and Jennifer can work on co parenting their children, plus stay on good terms. Ben can work on being a good father and focus on his career as well. I rather read about him spending time with his children and lining up new job prospects than him drinking or gambling his life away. Time will tell
That Lainey blind that was out a couple of days ago is looking more and more accurate. Multiple projects, a co-star turned hook-up..and the “hard drugs”. I hope that last part isn’t true. This is a hell of a media campaign.
There is literally zero chance that blind wasn’t about him.
I find it believable too. Hopefully he’ll have some sort of a sober coach with him disguised as a trainer or something.
I don’t think it’s heroin, though. He is an alcoholic, though, no doubt.
Why not?
Both doing everything they can to capitalise on this divorce.
as long as the children are happy I don’t see any problem in this.
One thing I have noticed through the years when a couple spends time denying every single gossip written about them – they end up splitting and what went on behind the doors becomes public.
A couple who don’t give a damn about malicious rumours about them are the ones who actually lasts and are genuinely happy.
You wrote……. “A couple who don’t give a damn about malicious rumours about them are the ones who actually lasts and are genuinely happy” , this reminds me of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie!!
Another Batman movie, how exciting.
Seriously.
Fresh. Innovative.
A new, honest exploration of the relationship between Batman and Robin.
Dialing Matt now….
Yeezus. I could live with all of my exes on that massive property and still not run into one of them.
Pretty sure I read in the past year about some celeb having a random stranger movi into their property (in the Hamptons I think) and they didn’t discover them for a long time. JLo maybe?
I still would
(Buries head in hands)
Why announce a major comic based movie at Comic Con? Because that’s what you do? This is something that WB probably planned well before the divorce announcement.
As to whether we actually more Batman movies at this time, that’s an entirely different question. And the answer is ‘no’.
Yeah, not everything is about his divorce. The comic-con crowd do not even know about it. This is DC wanting to “win” comic-con.
He has 3 films in production and 15 in development including justice League part 1 in 2017 and Justice League part 2 in 2019. Is this new Batman an additional movie? The guy is busy and his life is being run by the studios at this point I would imagine. This must be the cost of him getting to do The Town, Argo, Gone Baby Gone. He is in his 40’s and this super hero stuff is going to consume him until he is 50. I think this is going to be very perilous for him. He has huge commitments wth huge amounts of money at stake. I think it will chaff at him (if it doesn’t already) to be locked down like that work wise.
That said, I might be crazy, but I am not sure the marriage is totally done. I would buy that there is something big (baby with another woman type thing, or the heroin rumors being true) and a lot of damage control is bring done in case it blows up. If it blows over, I could see them getting back together.
+1, the spin with them being separated for 10 months is strange(made me think of an outside child). Not sure why that number kept being put out there. Wish them luck with that.
@roses yes there are just too many oddities. The 10 month number, moving vans at the house BUT he is still living there, going to the Bahamas together then immediately going to Atlanta, he is still wearing a ring. Some news/gossip outlet says she was still wearing her ring but it was the ring for her character. Anyway, I may be in the minority but I have a soft spot for both Ben and Jennifer and think they may yet stay together IF they can keep the narrative together AND whatever is hanging out there is handled……
Ben’s out. He’s not going back. The children and dealing with their emotions in the beginning will eat at him. I’ve known men that didn’t know at first if maybe they would go back because the children got to them, seeing their pain. He will waver but get past it as the kids get used to it.
Ben can now go do what he wants. And I don’t think that’s so much about the women, although that’s part of it. It’s more that he is myopic about things, the word he used. And his career is his obsession right now. Look at all that’s on his plate. Now he doesn’t have to listen to Jennifer organizing his life and controlling him. I’m not saying she is. I’m saying his perception. She has, unfortunately, for her (because he made it that way) become his mother, nagging him, controlling him in his mind. He can now do it all his way without her input about his still heavy schedule for the next few years, except arranging seeing his children, and without having the distraction of having to work on his marriage. His free time can be given to the children, but now he doesn’t have to worry about working on his marriage during free time, because I doubt Jen has been happy this past year as his schedule ramped up so much with projects.
I believe that’s mostly what this is all about, freedom for Ben to not answer to her, and take the trajectory of his career even higher.
I heard there is a woman on the side already. Even Lainey hinted on it “waiting for her moments”.
@jayna
Ding ding ding!
I think you pretty much nailed it.
And he’s gonna do all of this on heroin!
Of course 😉 .i don’t buy that he’s on heroin .
Me either, French. I have sadly known a few different opiate addicts, both pills and actual heroin, and there is nothing about Affleck that presents like that. I could see coke more, but I still think he is just a raging alcoholic with PED use for his ridiculous version of Battfleck.
Could you tell that PSH was a heroin addict? Not all addicts present like Keith Richards. Actually, Charlie Watts (the dapper, dignified Rolling Stones drummer) in late middle age developed a heroin addiction & no one outside of his immediate family knew, including former smackhead Keith.
No one but the Afflecks would really know, but PSH had a recent heroin relapse but had primarily been drinking, but he never presented as constantly wired like BA. So sad to think of that great loss. BA could be doing a number of things, but I think his own vanity would prevent heroin. He is the quintessential alcoholic, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he had cocaine, PED, etc on board either. Lainey is fed lots of info by publicists, and sometimes it is misinformation for various kooky Hollywood reasoning. I wouldn’t be surprised if that was a redirect by publicists to add frenzy and wild speculation so that the ugly truth would get buried amongst a potpourri of rumours. I don’t think it’s a good idea, but I’m always baffled by how Hwood publicists think the public will react.
Well, Clooney’s will no longer be the worst Batman.. I bet he sent him a gift basket..
About the other, I dunno if he’s on heroin or not, but I’m hoping it’s no..
“Well, Clooney’s will no longer be the worst Batman”
Now, let’s not be hasty… the crappiness of that movie is probably unbeatable, nineties, n*pples and all…
Ha ha..Clooney was like, impossibly bad.
But to be fair, does the Batman character really require anything spectacular? Batman was always the least interesting character in the franchise to me. I’m all about the villains.
That being said, Keaton FTW.
Don Simpson. Julia Philips.
That is all.
Both Simpson and Phillips were cocaine-addicts, not heroin addicts.
Benzos and opiates are very different animals.
There are a lot of high-functioning coke heads in Hollywood, but not a lot of high-functioning heroin addicts in Hollywood, or anywhere else in the world for that matter.
In fact, there are doctors, politicians, investment bankers, lawyers that are doing their jobs at this very moment, on cocaine.
It always blows (no pun intended, maybe) my mind when I think about how many people are actually on cocaine. It’s crazy. Heroin and opiates in general strike a nerve with me, because the summer after I graduated high school a good friend of mine died in his sleep after mixing alcohol, opiates, and a Benadryl for a bee sting. I also saw a really close friend waste away to nothing on heroin. He couldn’t even keep his pants up with a belt, he was passing out in public in the middle of the day, and he would tell me (mumbling in a pretty incoherent way) that he’d throw up if he hadn’t done a line by 8 am as if that was normal. I really hope for the sake of Ben and his family that he’s not actually on heroin, but I highly doubt he is. He doesn’t have that scary greenish-grey pallor of a corpse that can speak.
Yeah people use that sh*t to stay awake and often to stay focused.
Sorry about your friend, Shambleroni 🙁
I was thinking coke, not heroin, as well. Steroids can also make him a beast and combined with his alcoholism, he is just a mess all around.
I have no clue about heroin. But I think the fact that he’s now slated to write/direct/star in a Batman movies puts some of this into perspective – are we seeing what WB’S been dangling in front of him this whole time? Am I the only one that’s skeptical that’s going to even happen? No shade here about Affleck, but making a superhero movie is a notorious grind, and he has a whole bunch of other projects on his plate.
And I agree with Celebitchy, the PR treatment of this divorce is fascinating. It’s so controlled and so planned, but they’re really doing a crappy job at it – it feels like one big misfire.
You mentioned The Big Gift that WB was rumored to be giving Affleck on yesterday’s thread.
Excellent call, but did you think it would be a Batman movie? I’m a bit surprised, but I’m happy for him.
I’m with you–I cannot see Ben getting all of this done. On the other hand, being this busy could be really good for him in a way. If he was smart enough to channel all the (presumably) negative energy into upcoming projects, he might be able to work off of that momentum.
I wonder if this was part of the last straw for Jen. Maybe she knew that with his upcoming schedule that he’d be away more than ever, more distant, unavailable, etc.
It wasn’t dangled later. It was dangled to get him to accept the part. It was part of the deal when he accepted Batman that he would direct the next standalone Batman movie. Which makes sense. Now it really makes sense why Ben took this role. He wanted to direct Batman was the key to getting him. From what I’ve read, he and his co-writing partner have already worked out a lot of the plot and have been working together and will have the script finished before he starts directing his next movie this fall.
Looking on sites, this has been out there since last year that that’s the case when he took Batman, just never confirmed by WB, waiting to announce that later for publicity when beginning to promote Dawn of Justice. Comic-Con is the perfect time..
I thought it would be the Justice League movie, actually (and I don’t think this was a recent development either and has nothing to do with his divorce). This whole thing feels weird to me – Ben Affleck who had one of the worst superhero movie experiences with Daredevil is doubling down on BATMAN and will also write and direct it? That is an incredible gamble, let alone following up Nolan and Bale?
And yes, I agree that Comic Con is the perfect time to announce, especially since Batman-Superman has no Marvel competition this year and really want to make a splash to turn their PR around on this movie.
The PR game of the divorce is far more interesting than anything either Affleck or Garner has ever done professionally.
While I don’t question the timing of the Batfleck announcement, I’m surprised they did it with so little fanfare, especially considering that they’re supposedly doing a big thing at Comic Con. Couldn’t they have come up with something snazzier?
I thought the negotiations were about him directing Justice League not Batman. And he had to take the Batfleck role if he was to direct Justice league….
Kitten: didn’t know there was a difference. I’m happy to learn something new.
LOL
Uh, shouldn’t Affleck wait to see how his Batman is received in this new movie? If it’s bad and it drags then no way. I still haven’t forgiven him for Daredevil.
In the immortal words of Michael K: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Don’t think Ben is on Heroin….his drug of choice is Alcohol and lots of it. Sorry, Folks-not buying it. And Heroin users have this “look” about them- (See PSH and Heath Ledger).
All JMO, of course.
Agree. This is what I think of when I hear ‘heroin user’.
http://content.hollywire.com/sites/default/files/resize/2012/08/02/macaulay_culkin_1_0-516×734.jpg
Then again, Seymour Phillip Hoffman did not have that look, so…
To me, it looks like Ben has been hitting the beer pretty hard. He’s got a little gut going.
Because PSH was clean for 23 years. Not to sound like a broken record, since I went over this on a previous thread, but Hoffman wasn’t doing heroin throughout his career. It was the opposite–he was sober and relapsed.
One time is all it takes to die from an overdose after your system has rid itself of heroin. Anyway, there was absolutely no proof that he was using up to the point that he died and evidence points to the contrary, actually.
Poor McCaulay 🙁
Actually PSH always did ping my junkie radar. There was sort of a shade in front of him, like a part of him was off to the side, observing.
Edit: Ben Affleck never seemed like a heroin junkie. I do think it would be tough to deliver on all his projects if he was/is using H. Not saying that he never dabbled, just that it probably is not his favorite demon.
Gambling addict too.
I agree. I’ve said that face is alcohol bloat, also. The heroin blind was always so silly to me.
I have no clue and it could be a variety of things, but I do think that something big had to happen for that marriage to break up. Lainey is correct in that the Affleck’s stated time line doesn’t fit.
I’m really wondering about the wedding rings being back and forth, on and off, for the last week. I do tend to believe that Jennifer (I know! No one else believes this of her!) is somehow still controlling this. I fully believe she still didn’t want this divorce, and still doesn’t, in spite of everything. I have a strange feeling that she’s still trying to control him in some way by forcing his hand at staton on the property and traveling with them, etc. I think doing this allows her to still keep him close, which really makes it pretty difficult for either of them to move on, which I think is really what she wants. I really don’t believe that she “had enough.” I think she finally threw in the towel when Ben made it clear no more could be done. I know this isn’t a popular opinion, but it’s the one il that rings most true to me.
I agree@jojo not sure it’s actually “done” yet. There is some major issue/event that caused this…..
I think if Jen wasn’t done they would not be getting a divorce. I do think if Ben would have keep his sh*t on the down low they would still be playing happy family. Ben is in Atlanta right now not for Jen but because he’s going to be filming a movie there next month.
Yeah, she’s really a controlling devil, expecting her husband to be there for her and their three young kids, what a witch.
Imagine if this was all a big ploy – the divorce announcement, and now they’re going to get back together eventually, “give it another shot”, and say that Ben realized the error of his ways, blah blah. Although that seems like an incredibly terrible thing to put their kids through, and I can’t imagine how their marriage could actually last after all of this, but it all seems very suspicious all of a sudden… If that happens, I never thought I’d say this, but I would stop seeing their movies. I would feel like they’re just duping everyone.
Wow, this is going to be a humongous catastrophe of epic proportions.
PS. Ben is not responsible for writing those scripts that has won him accolades. Some unknown kid from film school looking for a break in the business is the true scribe. Ben buys the script and gets the credit.
If he was such a savant why didn’t he and Matt never continue to churn out Oscar worthy scripts?
Nothings changed. Ben is like the big dumb jock who gets the smart kid to do his work.
Or it could be Jen helping him out. I remember an interview where in she said that every night they would review the shots he has done for the day. She was the behind the scene helper.
I always thought that there is something odd about him being a writer.
Just when I thought I couldn’t be less interested in anything Ben Affleck did.
Top Ten Ben quotes– “I am sorry Jen for my lack of commitment to our marriage but every time there was a battle between keeping my marriage vows and unzipping my pants, the latter won”.
10. Come on Jen, it’s not like you will not have any more birthdays, so what If I spent the day with my mistress.
9. If it turns out that my new babe is only a few years older than my girls it’s a win – win for me because it means less Daddy time for two girls and more Daddy time for my special girl #Daddy wins#
8. Why is it cool for Chris Martin and Johnny Depp to trade in and all hell breaks loose when it’s batman’s turn, not fair.
7. Don’t blame me for this melt down, blame my man crush Brad Pitt, he just confessed that he will never leave Angelina Jolie for me.
6. Hold on Leo and Bradley, I have a lot of ground to make to be able to catch up with you in terms of sampling of lingerie models. You will admit that you both had an unfair advantage for the past TEN YEARS.
5. Yes, she was a controlling bitch, why was my presence at home every few months not enough?
4. Don’t blame me, any honest man will tell you that fresh meat is always better than a vagina that has pushed out three babies, even if they are mine.
3. This PR business is full of shit, I finally get my dearest wish and I still have to pretend to be unhappy, so not cool.
2. What do these people want from me? Whether I am wearing the ring or not the marriage is already dead. Just look at those latest Instragam photos of Emily (on vacation in Italy) and tell me you don’t understand why.
1.Hey Scott (Peterson/Disick) you guys are my ultimate role models in life, wannna hang out?
LOL!!!!!!
It made my day! Thank you!
Have to admit the house (er, estate) is much bigger than I imagined. When Jen goes on these talk shows and talks about cooking and cleaning and bearing the lion’s share of the household duties, I did not for a minute think her place was as big as this. I’m not naive enough to take her spiel at face value and wish she would come clean about having a fairly large team to help and actually do all that she claims to do singlehandedly.
She does go on a lot, but I’ve never heard her talk about cleaning, per se. More the cooking and projects and running the house, taking care of the kids, etc.
All stars have maids and at least one nanny, an assistant at least part-time. I have a maid and I’m not rich. She seems very hands-on, though, and very OCD about everything.
I’m not saying she claimed to scrub her own floors and toilets but when she talks about running the house and only mentions her nannies in terms of the “hired help” she leaves you with that assumption. It’s partly the media too I guess – they portray her as a 1950’s housewife.
@ Candice
That’s a true statement Garner leave the illusion that’s she does it all with out any help which works for her image.
I’ll hazard a prediction: Ben’s Batman will fail. Why? Because he’s about the most wooden actor I’ve ever seen, which little charisma to compensate. He’s yet to figure out he is much better behind the camera.
I concur 100% with this, db. He is an unappealing presence both on screen and off, and he has hurt his own films that he directed well by his self vanity casting.
Ben is always the weakest link acting wise in his movies. Boring! He can’t act ….. I am always left thinking any other actor would’ve elevated the film and made it tons better.
Batman fans seem to be very much on board with Ben co-writing and directing as he’s shown he’s a strong director. It’s been surmised for a while I guess the reason he accepted Batman is that he would direct the next one, just no firm announcement back then. This is where Ben’s strength lies, directing, and I think this is a great fit, really.
My God, what is he thinking?
1-He’s too old to be beginning a Batman franchise. Or ANY superhero role. Maybe a villain…. Yeah actually I could totally see him playing a villain; he’s more Jack Nicholson than Micheal Keaton if that makes sense
2- He tried the Superhero thing YEARS ago. He failed at it. Why would now be any different?
3- All his strengths are BEHIND the camera, not in front of it. At his age with his successes at directing behind him, this is the logical transition to make: retire from acting (for the most part) and concentrate on writing and directing.
I think Ben is going thru a midlife crisis. The kind of midlife crisis that applies to men who really never grew up to begin with. Which may explain why Jen is pulling the plug – his already tiresome behavior just got MUCH worse.
Good Lord- another Batman movie??? Admittedly, I’m a Marvel fan- but who is running DC movies to think this is a good idea? And shameless Marvel plug here- watch Daredevil on Netflix- Charlie Cox will totally erase of all memories of Ben-devil!
I second that recommendation. Charlie is amazing as Matt Murdock/Daredevil. It’s all ego for Ben. He’s going to prove to all of us that he can be a superhero damnit!
They are done but Garner does not get it so in order not to look like the bad guy he acts like he is fighting for his marriage.Tbh I have never met a woman as niave as Jennifer Garner she os truly clueless and for that reason she comes off as desperate.From her dressing to her controlling ways now her fight for a man who clearly does not love her someone needs to sit her down and tell her the simple truth this marriage os doomed and was doomed from the unset.She does not need therapy more like a dating coach so she could get things into perspective.A relationship build on lies can never work.Ben lied to her from the unset and he is still doing it now.Lesson to all of us ladies infatuation does not lead to love but just plain and simple denial and manipulation from guys.
I get what your saying; I’ve seen this plenty. I just don’t think it applies to Garner.
Im not convinced that Garner really ever “loved” Affleck. There is evidence to suggest she set her sights on him with her own agenda in mind, and to that end, while marriage to him has not made her a huge star, it has kept her working, including lucrative endorsements, whereas otherwise she likely would have become a has been. I’m sure she’s a “nice person” but her screen appeal is frankly very limited. And she will come out of this divorce a very wealthy woman.
There is a REASON lovely but talentless starlets attach themselves like barnacles to more successful and talented mates. While I wouldn’t necessarily put Garner in the exact same category as, say, Amber Heard; I think she nonetheless falls under the same basic type.
No, Jenifer falls in the same category as Kate Holmes or Vanessa Paradis. They all got pregnant after few months of relationship, had ambitions to become A-list actress but lef only with doting mum image.
My problem with all these assumptions of her going solely for him because he was an A list superstar is why would she dress so shabbily she could have been more glamourous but she chosed not to be.IMHO she wanted Ben because she was truly infatuated with him and tried to morph into the kind of woman she thought he was after seeing the fiasco with JLo she decided to be the opposite of that hoping to capture his heart.Look at her pictures before she got with Ben I mean she was stunning.She was tanned and sexy then she got with him and now she is pale and frumpy.Which calculating woman will let herself go that way tbh I am not a Jennifer Garner fan but truly I think it is her ignorance that got her where she is.Lesson learnt do not leave a good man for some sexy hot dude looks fade personality does not.And I am not saying Ben os a bad guy the problem is he way too sophosticated for her she needs someone with tbe same values like her not Ben
Yeah, I don’t think Garner is naive at all, and I would totally buy that she wasn’t in love with him in the way that longterm relationships need. Maybe she initially was in “luff/lust” with him, but I don’t think they had a substantial relationship built on camaraderie and friendship.
If you go back to that old Dinner for Five episode of Favreau’s before they got together (publicly), she is salivating all over him. I remember even at the time, I was second-hand embarrassed for her because she was so obvious middle-school girl giggly, and he was his usual douchy self. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xif09V0BG_s
Then there is also the thing where she constantly traded “up” the Hollywood ladder with her men (I only reference this in career terms as I believe one Scott Foley is worth 10+ Afflecks.)
On the subject of their house — Saw photos at a different angle the other day, and cannot figure out what the vegetation-covered part of the house is (living quarters or something else).
In the first photo, the section I’m referencing is in the lower part of the photo. In the second, it is on the right side, under the play area. It’s like a partially underground home or bunker.
The house is even more sprawling when you consider that section does not jump out in these photos as additional living(?) space.
Maybe it’s a giant bat cave?
I could never figure that out either, that lower part that seems to be under their land. I’m glad it wasn’t just me.
Earthquake bunker?
Could be — It looks pretty secure! It’s also probably very energy efficient.
I’m finding myself fascinated by this property far more than the homeless Ben Saint frumpy Jen narratives so far. It’s like a 5-plex with many pools , yards, patios, treed areas….kind of interesting for kids. Well, better than my house.
Glad I’m not the only one intrigued by the house instead of the two parents dueling for narratives.
In an article I found about the house, it says it’s a guest house. I wonder if that’s where Ben is going to live?
Hey babe, I’m in the backyard.
Which one?
In the meantime, I am still staring into nothing while thinking about the Robotic BatFleck voice…
He’s a very talented director, I enjoyed The Town and loved Gone Baby, Gone. As an actor I thought he was great in Gone Girl.
If he could stop posing and trying to be someone he’s not he’d have a better media image. He needs to stop trying to present as he thinks others wish he was and just be his authentic self. Now that the divorce is on the walk from Mrs Daily Pap Walk, he has the opportunity to separate from that image and be who he really is.
That is who he is, do you really think those pap walks were for Garner? Who is helming million dollar movies and courting and winning Oscars? Guess what, it’s not the soon to be forgotten Garner, who spends her time with three children, not masterminded indiotic PR campaigns. But sure, it’s all Jen’s doing, why not.
I didn’t think so at first, but now the divorce appears to have been timed perfectly right before Affleck’s work schedule goes into overdrive. He must be SO relieved to have his freedom to delve into his work as an actor, director, and screenwriter without having to deal with a wife back home checking up on what he is doing or asking when he will come home. He can relieve his stress with strippers and flings without anymore guilt. I believe the rumor that Affleck pressured Garner to announce the split before he starts his Batman publicity. It’s better to do it now and beat the press by controlling how his affairs, gambling, and drinking will be portrayed to the public. Affleck and Garner will likely remain a team for as long as it takes for the sake of their careers and image. Regardless of how they feel about each other, they probably still want the best for each other professionally. They both want to prevent the airing of any actual dirty laundry far worse than what is being reported.
Sometimes I think this website gets confused about SDCC (San Diego Comic Con) and how big of a deal it is. You all were asking last year why Ben Affleck was there to promote the Superman movie coming out in 2016 because it was so far away. This is THE event to announce major blockbuster movies and tv shows, to discuss casting choices and creative involvement, to dress up as your favorite character and potentially meet your favorite comic artists. If it’s anything like New York Comic Con which I’ve been to thanks to my job, it is insane. 130,000 people attend every year (they finally had to cap it since they reached maximum capacity in the convention center last year). My company goes there every year (I work in the comics industry) and I have coworkers there now promoting stuff and interviewing creators etc.
And I wouldn’t be surprised if they timed this announcement to coincide with the divorce. They most likely knew ahead of time and decided to go ahead with it since they knew the level of attention would be directed at Affleck already.
SDCC is on my bucket list.
I don’t wonder about the timing, but this was supposed to be WB/DC’S year to shine at SDCC with no Marvel – why didn’t they save the announcement for their actual presentation?
85% guarantee the kids don’t use those slides anymore.
I, for one, don’t want to see Ben Affleck’s fat, bloated ass either in the Batman suit OR listlessly dragging around with his adorable daughters for the pap shots. This is one guy who does not deserve the good life he has. I’m far more disgusted with Ben than Ariana Grande, because while she literally spat on food, he figuratively spat on his whole family. Son of a bitch.
He is NOT very old to play a superhero – Batman wears a costume that covers 90% of his face and body, so he can be played by pretty much anyone who is tall and happens to look like Bruce Wayne. The dangerous/overly demanding scenes? The studios require stunt doubles for those scenes anyway due to insurance issues.
Brad Pitt is an action star now w/ Z and he is a decade older than Ben. And he is not wearing a costume. And I loved him in that film.
They are of course making a Batman movie/franchise – what did you expect? That they’ve hired an A-list top talent actor/director just to play ball w/ Henry Cavill – the dullest of all dull actors in Hollywood playing the dullest of all dull superheroes living in superhero-land????
Forget about Batman – they are making Spiderman films as if the fate of the entire humanity rests on them. Like if we do not have a new Spiderman franchise every 3 years, we will all starve to death!
I love Ben – he is simply gorgeous to me. He is an amazing director and a criminally underrated actor. He looks like Bruce Wayne, and I find him so much more physically appealing and imposing than Kilmer, Keaton, Clooney or Bale tbh.
It is popular to hate and hate on Ben nowadays, but let’s face it – it is only a divorce, many people cheat or excessively drink, and a lot marriages do end in divorce. He did not kill anyone, he did not beat Jen, or put his kids’ lives in danger. And career-wise, he has never been more productive, driven and creative as he is now.
He is a TWO TIME OSCAR WINNER for writing and producing for heavens’ sake.
Being an Oscar winner is not everything, they’ve handed them out to some very questionable choices over the years. I like some of Ben’s movies but he’s made plenty of crap (Gigli, Daredevil, etc), his presence is no guarantee of quality even if he has upped his game.
Can I just say I’m so freaking tired of these superhero movies. I love marvel and dc. I love comic books. I’m a huge Bruce timm fan and his work with dc. But all these movies suck and just aren’t the medium to explore the rich histories of these characters. I guess I’m being unfair they are designed to just be popcorn flicks for fun with an added touch of drama and seriousness. But dear god it’s all just boring now. Batman movie after batman movie. Spider-Man rebooted a million times. The Thor movies suck. I’m so sick of ironman. The avengers are so boring. The same banal boring people playing different superheroes (Ryan Reynolds, Chris Evans). Just no. These movies are just so superficial and soulless.
I agree with you completely with one caveat: the first Thor film, which was directed by kenneth branagh. I think he gave it emotional depth and the bromance angle elevated it somewhat. All these boring, soulless franchises are for making money only, and please refer to what Birdman’s director said about them being cultural genocide. I’d say cultural suicide’s a more appropriate term though.
We don’t need anymore superhero movies, however I think his career will be fine. Hers, not so much.
Boy oh Boy is he trying to do damage control! Sorry, Ben.
I don’t get the obsession with Batman. He’s really not that interesting.
His Batman film will be one big vanity project. He should have just stayed behind the camera, but no, he has to force himself on us as a leading man again. He used his directing credibility to do it.
He seems like a giant control freak. Obsessed with controlling his image and Mark Ruffalo said he wouldn’t allow Jen to be friends with him.
He chooses really trashy films and makes choices that reveal he’s more ambitious and eager to be considered an A lister than he is about film. I think he knows he’s not that talented so has to walk this way. Gone Girl was hella crap and the Batman movies, like 99% of superhero films, are just embarrassing.
Watch out for the Original bennifer 2016
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