Though Ben Affleck and Matt Damon haven’t appeared together onscreen in starring roles for quite some time, the duo have been trying to get another project off the ground. A few years ago, it looked as though the reunion would happen on a film based on the 1970s baseball scandal involving the swapping of wives between New York Yankees pitchers Fritz Peterson and Mike Kekich. Titled The Trade, the idea was that Damon would direct and star opposite Affleck and Casey Affleck, but their busy schedules forced the project into limbo. Now it appears that Warner Bros. is reviving the project with a new director at the helm: Jay Roach.
Hit the jump for more, including what roles Damon and Affleck will fill in this new iteration of the project.
Per Variety, Recount and Meet the Parents director Jay Roach is in negotiations to helm The Trade for Warner Bros. Neither Ben Affleck or Damon are expected to appear in the film as actors, but they will still produce alongside Jennifer Todd. The most recent draft of the script was written by the Affleck brothers, based on an initial draft by David Mandel.
Though Affleck and Damon were unable to fit The Trade into their schedules as actors, they were still passionate about the project and pushed to find a director in recent weeks. Roach has experience both in high-concept comedy with films like Austin Powers and Dinner for Schmucks, as well as more politically tinged material like Recount andGame Change. It’s unclear what the tone of The Trade would be, but the central premise could really take it anywhere.
Affleck is currently gearing up to don the cowl as Batman in Batman vs. Superman and recently had to push his next directorial effort, Live by Night, back to 2016 in order to accommodate the shooting schedule of the DC Comics adaptation. With the recent news that Justice League will be shot back-to-back with the Man of Steel follow-up, he’ll be quite busy for some time. Damon, meanwhile, has yet to commit to his next feature.
From: http://collider.com/jay-roach-ben-affleck-matt-damon-the-trade/
