Affleck's 'Live By Night' Already Looks Gorgeous

Ben Affleck's having a busy year. (OK — maybe life.) Not only is the actor set to star as the titular Batman in Zack Snyder's Batman v. Superman adaption, he's also starring in the 2016 thriller The Accountant, and has just began directing his newest crime thriller, Live By Night. The film, which Affleck will also star in (side note: Does Affleck ever sleep?), will be his first directing gig since 2012's Oscar-winning Argo. From the look of the initial shot Affleck shared via his Twitter, it's already shaping up to be stunning. (Seriously, if the first shot of Live By Night looks this good, there won't even be words to describe the final product.)

According to Slashfilm, Live By Night's plot centers around Joe Coughlin (played by Affleck), a thief in 1920's Boston, and his ascent up the organized "crime ladder" of both Boston and Cuba. Part love story, part "compelling saga of revenge," Live By Night has all the elements of an enthralling crime drama. It sounds — and looks — moody, atmospheric, and above all else Affleckian (that will be a word, I'm calling it now). If you don't believe me, just take a glance at the still Affleck shared.

Live By Night was adapted for film by a Dennis Lehane (Shutter Island, Mystic River, Gone Baby Gone) novel of the same name. It's also Affleck's second time working with source material from the prolific crime novelist, Lehane — in case you've since forgotten, the impeccably shot neo-noir mystery, Gone Baby Gone, was Affleck's directorial debut back in 2007. The film, starring Affleck's little brother, Casey, was an almost perfect exercise in the crime thriller genre, and solidified Affleck's place as a talented director. After Gone Baby Gone, Affleck went on to direct 2010's The Town, another Bostonian crime thriller, before winning an Oscar for his work on 2012's Argo.

Both Lehane and Affleck seem to have a fascination with Boston's crime scene — probably because they both hail from the state themselves. Affleck's The Town and Gone Baby Gone each centered around crime in Boston, and though Live By Night will be a period piece, it's backdrop will also be...you guessed it, Boston. Responsible for look and feel of Live By Night's said Boston will be cinematographer Robert Richardson, who's best known for his work with Quentin Tarantino, but not coincidentally has been affiliated with a Lehane project before. (The cinematographer also worked on developing the thrilling visuals of 2010's adaptation Shutter Island, starring Leonardo DiCaprio.)

The killer cast — consisting of Sienna Miller, Chris Cooper, Zoe Saldana, Chris Messina, and Elle Fanning — are all signed on and ready to shoot, despite their being some hiccups along the way. (Slashfilm reports that Live By Nigh t was set to be filmed back in 2013, but had to be delayed to Affleck's other commitments.) The film's currently set to come out in 2017, but no specific date has been released. In the meantime, I'll be avidly following Affleck's Twitter account, hoping that he shares more shots from the upcoming project.

Images: Giphy