I know I write this every time I do a story about Justin Timberlake, but I just can’t wrap my head around him being a legitimate A-list movie star. I guess after The Coen Brothers went after him to star in INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS and Clint Eastwood signed him up for TROUBLE WITH THE CURVE, I should just get over it and accept that Justin Timberlake is a movie star. And the weird thing is that I actually really like him in movies, so it’s all very strange. I feel like I somehow got transported into another dimension like on ‘Fringe’ and back on the other side, Justin Timberlake is a washed up boy band singer doing a celebrity version of a Food Network show.
Then there’s Ben Affleck, who toyed with heartthrob status for a while there in the 90’s and then went AWOL, and now is back as one of the best directors working today. Oh, and he’s still a heck of an actor. And lucky for us, Justin Timberlake and Ben Affleck are teaming up for the thriller RUNNER, RUNNER. We don’t have a full synopsis yet, but we know the film is being billed as a thriller and will take place in the high stakes world of illegal online gambling. Ben Affleck will be getting into familiar territory since RUNNER, RUNNER was written by David Levien and Brian Koppelman, who wrote ROUNDERS, which starred his BFF Matt damon.
Brad Furman will be directing Ben Affleck and Justin Timberlake in the film. Furman previously directed THE LINCOLN LAWYER, which was a surprisingly good thriller with Matthew McConaughey. Both Ben Affleck and Justin Timberlake have full schedules coming up, but since the film has its two leads, writers and a director, shooting should get started pretty soon. (Variety)
