Ben Affleck Steps Down as ‘The Batman’ Director

Bummed but I was never fully convinced he was the right person for the job. Live By Night aside, he's a great director but I don't know how well his style would match with a batman movie. It would have been really interesting though, bummed we'll never see it. Here's hoping Matt Reeves gets the job.

 

Yeah, but hes still attached to write the script with Johns, so we might still have a chance at seeing part of his vision. My vote is for Kevin Smith to tackle it.

 

Kind of always figured this would happen. I'm the wrong person to say this because the DCEU has completely disappointed me, but they really need to get their house in order. Affleck was on an insane career rebirth after Gone Baby Gone, and I really hope playing Batman doesn't negate all of that.

 

this must be satire

 

I wonder if this has anything to do with Live By Night being a $75 million loss. Affleck is a good director, and I can't comment on Live By Night because I haven't seen it, but I can't imagine that had a positive effect on his confidence or the studio's faith in him to helm the project.

 

That would be my guess.

Live by Night was a mess, not downright horrible, but not very good at all ... but previous three were really good. I think given WB needing Batman to be a huge success, they want to take no risks ...

 

I read the book like three or four years ago when he was first attached to direct. It was pretty good, but seemed like it was going to be tough to turn into a movie. I also didn't know at the time that Ben was planning on playing the main character, who is like 17 or 18 at the start of the story. It was basically a coming of age tale in the book, and I can't imagine it worked as well with the protagonist aged up by like two and a half decades.

Agreed that Affleck's previous three were great though. The Town especially is a favorite of mine.

 

I'm a huge Kevin Smith fan and would be so excited to watch this but I do not think it would be good

 

I am so frickin' sick of Batman. Mostly cuz I loved him when I was three and my age group loved him when they were 18 to now. I just can't believe Deadshot hasn't got the drop on him yet. I don't get the passion; they're COMIC BOOKS. Loved Sin City. I'm also a hypocrite for adoring Preacher and liking Jared the Joker. More than Ledger. Please don't ban me. I'm a curmudgeon.

 

Oh, and I

It's a shame, usually trailers give me feels, even for not so good movies(e.g. Zero Dark Thirty and Prometheus trailers kept me awake waiting for those movies. Zero Dark Thirty was more like Zero Star Movie, hated it). Saw the trailer before Arrival and it was obvious this would be okay at best, really bad at worst. It was the worst. Makes Gangster Squad look like Goodfellas, though regarding that film I love the cast of Brolin, Gosling, John Doggett and Anthony Mackie. Fun movie.

 

Still have no interest in Argo, but I'm a cinephile. Sounds so...oddly intriguing AND boring. Would I enjoy it, I usually share your opinions.

 

Argo is a very well-made film about a very interesting story. If you don't mind a few artistic liberties, you'd probably enjoy it. The cast, especially the supporting players, really sell the movie.

 

Nope. Totally serious. Dude rags on himself way too much but he knows his shit. He just needs some fucking confidence. Set him up with a good team and I'm sure we would get a good batman movie. I think if we got an actual comic book fan in the directors chair we would finally get a good batman movie. Is Kevin Smith the right man for the job, maybe, maybe not. I am just sick of WB making these movies with only $ in the eyes. Be respectful to the source material and actually try and make a good movie. Affleck had previously stated that he would only direct if the script was good. He's not directing anymore. To me, that sounds like the studio is throwing their weight around again and making shitty decisions for the direction of the movie so he backed out.

 

Always wanted to ask this to a cinephile; in your mind, what makes a good movie? I feel like that term gets thrown around way to liberally and it really just boils down to the person cancelling their netflix account and only watching movies that no one else has heard of before

 

Love good acting! Cool, I'll give it a whirl the next time I'm more focused.

 

Funny, watched that movie twice and just didn't find anything really inspired about it. Just weird but kinda went nowhere...though I've adored Rosamund Pike since "An Education". BTW don't think I forgot you Carlos, thanks for the kind comments on my drum videos! People are mean I'm ALWAYS nervous live.

 

Good lord people actually want a Kevin Smith Batman movie? The action would be more stilted and unnatural than the Burton/Schumacher days

 

To me, it means being open to every kind of movie, not scared to call out overrated mainstream flicks(lookin' at you Shawshank Redemption and Forrest Gump), and a person that can appreciate movies from any era, plus knows that a favorite film can be a lesser film(e.g. La La Land is my favorite this year, but I know Moonlight is the better film). Also, IMO a cinephile must have seen MANY films, that number can be sliding. Here's this "cinephile's" top 10 list for 2016, a top 10 overall would have me staring at the screen all day lol! 1. Moonlight 2. La La Land 3. Arrival 4. Hell or Highwater 5. Zootopia 6. Nocturnal Animals 7. Suicide Squad Extended Cut(I know, I know but I have a soft spot for it) 8. Loving 9. The Nice Guys 10. Blair Witch
I know you're thinking "WTF?" with a couple of those choices, but like I said, I sometimes appreciate bad films, though I don't think Blair Witch was bad at all, very clever though quite pretentious. Bottom line: A good movie is one that a person can validate as a good movie and list its merits. No one has convinced me that Rogue One is a good movie, I find it insulting to both Carrie Fisher and Peter Cushing. Roger Ebert, my favorite critic ever, gave some goofy, inconsistent ratings. But he said it simply, "I love movies." That makes a cinephile. My friend trying to argue to me that Arrival is "not at all" a sci-fi film is not a cinephile, for example. Hope I didn't sound like a douche, I truly am very passionate about film. Mostly because I wouldn't know how to make a movie like Schindler's List or La La Land any more than I know how to get us to Mars. I make my living as a musician, have tried to direct videos, and failed miserably. Laughably. Downright criminal how bad I am at filmmaking.

 

Yeah...don't get that one. Wonder what Alfonso Cuaron, Darren Aronofsky, or Guillermo del Toro would do with it.

 

Thanks for the point of view. I would never be able to classify myself as a cinephile, but I too love movies. You had me going half way through though with the Suicide Squad EE haha, but thats the great thing about movies. They are totally subjective and they always strike different emotions for every viewer. Gonna try and catch Arrival this weekend; I've heard nothing but great things.

And man, your living my dream as a musician. I have a full time job and play in a band on the side, but I would love to be able play for a living.

 

Hahaha of course, man! Keep playing, always!

 

My job sucks, I produce IDM music because I have an ear for it. I'd give up every cent and every follower to play in Underoath for one night. But back to movies, you're so right, they are subjective. Some aren't, anyone that tells me that La La Land is bad movie is wrong. Ready yourself for Arrival! The ending will twist your mind, and it's not the glitzy experience that Prometheus or the new Star Trek and Star Wars movies are. It's filtered to be very dark, not glamorous, but with a home run of an ending that had me sobbing in the theater, trying not to show it.

 

It's gotta be better then my desk job. Don't get me wrong, I do not miss my retail days, and yeah I get to listen to podcasts and music all day while I work, but i miss feeling creative.

Gonna pop on arrival tonight, can't wait!