Remember when Ben Affleck had a mysterious black eye just days after Blake Lively’s naked photos came out (and it was obvious that she had taken the photos while she was working on The Town)? I feel like that just happened again. I feel like Jennifer Garner had enough and she broke a wine bottle against a cabinet and shook the jagged glass at a cowering Ben. Jennifer muttered, “This is what will happen to you if you don’t drop out of that stupid con artist movie with the trampire!!!” And so Ben Affleck has quietly pulled out of the lead role in Focus, which Kristen Stewart just signed on to last week.
With an increasingly busy schedule, Ben Affleck has fallen out of Warner Bros.’ “Focus.”
Sources close to Affleck tell Variety that while the actor very much wanted to do the film, the timing just couldn’t be worked out.
The pic also stars Kristen Stewart, with “Crazy Stupid Love” helmers Glenn Ficarra and John Requa directing from their own script.
Story follows a veteran grifter who partners with a girl who’s new to the life.
Affleck is focused on writing, directing, producing and staring in “Live by Night” and is also in development on “The Stand” and the untitled Whitey Bulger project. Add in all the award-season promoting he’s been doing for “Argo,” and insiders said an April start date on “Focus” just didn’t look possible for Affleck.
Warners will now look for someone who can step in order to meet that spring start.
Ha. So… did Jennifer Garner really do that? Was she like, “Seriously? We’re doing Happy Family Photo Ops every day and we’re in the midst of your Oscar campaign and you sign on to do a film with THE TRAMPIRE?! Are you that dumb?” And honestly, Ben IS that dumb when it comes to women. While I think Ben’s extracurricular type is more likely to be “trashy blonde waitress/stripper type,” I could see something weird happening between Ben and Kristen. But I’m glad Ben isn’t going to mess up his Oscar campaign. The poor guy almost ruined everything!
It will be interesting to see what happens next with this film. While Kristen has a lot of hype and a lot of public interest, I feel like studios are still very wary of letting her carry a film. They probably want someone with a big enough “name” to off-set Kristen a bit. Who should be cast opposite the lip-biter? Someone who can play a convincing con artist and a love interest for Kristen… maybe Ryan Gosling? Aaron Johnson would be good, but I get the feeling that the male character is supposed to be 30-something. Alex Skarsgard? Ooooo.
Photos courtesy of WENN, Fame/Flynet.
Jennifer is way too pretty to feel threatened by mouth-breather. He wouldn’t downgrade that much.
Men often cheat with women who are far inferior in looks to their wives and who have low self esteem. Angelina Jolie is one of the few exceptions and it wasn’t confirmed that Brad cheated and he started a family with her. He wanted her as a part of his life. Kristen is easy and will take it on the street side as she did with Rupert Sanders. No commitment or hotel room necessary. She’s no femme fetale but she’ll probably do a lot for a role especially with Twilight over and her constant need for media attention. I don’t know the reason Affleck dropped out but I can see the reason for the concern. This is no humanitarian like Angelina Jolie. This is someone who will lie to your face and play with your children.
+1
I’ve never thought AJ was pretty,but I agree, they’re trying to turn her into some seductress which is laughable. The only 2 femme fatales worth noting are Marilyn and Liz, everyone else dulls. But seriously, these hollyweird affairs pale in comparison to real life ones, involving your average joe.
Yeah, Kristen was a dumb dumb girl. Sometimes I feel bad. Doing it in the street, not even saying no to that just shows just what little self-worth she has. She can delude herself into thinking she’s Oscar material but deep down she really doesn’t respect herself or love herself. She was only a piece of ass for that nasty a-hole, and she gladly let herself be just that. What on earth was she thinking? He gave her the same place creepers give to street hookers: a parked car. Not even a proper room. Shows you how she has no street smarts as badass as she wants people to think she is. Girl has been too protected from real life. Maybe he did set her up…
Funniest post
@lisacuddy Pretty sure that was precisely the same mistake Liberty made.
I think he would since the rumor is that he has cheated on Jennifer since they first got together. As for Kristen, of course she would’ve allegedly thrown herself at Ben because not only is he still a headlining actor, he’s a director, too. And we all know how much she loves directors. Jennifer probably put her foot down, and for good reason. I do think it’s hilarious, though, because any married man that is going to work with Kristen is going to be watched like a hawk. lol
Karma is a bitch! hahaha Men flee from her.
Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone was first cast but they both dropped out.
Then Ben and Kristen signed on but now that Ben dropped out I don’t know what’s gonna happen.
do you really think he’ll run for senate? that’s an interesting theory to me..
Ben’s private life would be scrutinized heavily by the press if he ran for office.I don’t think he would want to put his family through that.
ETA-I’m not saying he has anything to hide because I don’t know about his private life. The press would be brutal towards him imo.
Both girls wear glasses, ah…cute!
Ben and Jen’s daughters are super adorable.
Yes, and whatever else is said about about Jen and Ben those are some genuinely happy kids. That’s no accident imo.
All their kids are adorable. Wish we had a new pic of Ben and little Samuel here… he’s a cute little guy!
http://www.justjared.com/photo-gallery/2750653/jennifer-garner-ben-affleck-family-dinner-in-brentwood-09/
http://www.justjared.com/photo-gallery/2768831/jennifer-garner-breakfast-with-bens-mom-26/
Gosling turned this down when Emma Stone was in talks for it, so I don’t see him changing his mind on it for Kristen. Brad Pitt turned it down too. Clearly this calls for Franco.
I don’t get the sense that Ben kowtows to Garner on much, so I doubt she pushed him to drop it. He’s savvy enough to realize there was no benefit to him doing it himself. Gossip was already taking off, the movie doesn’t sound very good, he’s thinking of running for office someday. Why put yourself on the gossip treadmill if you don’t need to? It was a smart decision on his part.
He mostly likely cheats in privet but this will be very public. I mean even before they even filmed the tabloids were writing about him cheating on
Jen and she is not going to have that be a public thing.
Oh Franco loves Kristen! I see him saying yes to this.
Well played, Jen.
understandable but that black eye things always rubbed me the wrong way. it is never ever ok to hit someone. but she (being what us society sees as the type of delicate female to protect and shield) got away with it and so did elin whatever-her-name was. if tiger would have hit her with a golf club it would have been another story.
We don’t know how he got that black eye. The rumor that Jennifer hit him was just speculation by gossip sites.
Ooh. Skarsgard! Yes please. That’ll be VERY good for gossip.
April start date? Luckily for Alex, he’ll be busy with True Blood.
The ‘k-stew is a man-eating succubus!’ narrative is so very tired. Suggest everyone read some Elaine Showalter and see if they can move past the mother-monster-whore myth. The rest of the world managed it some time in the seventies.
Love this response. I agree, and I’m no Stewart fan.
She made a horrible mistake that she will continue to pay for a long time. I don’t see why some people want to cuddle her and tell her everything is fine when it’s not. Tons of people got hurt including her own career. We are always going to pay for bad decisions and maybe look bad as a result, male or female.
Pandora, I agree with you, but I think Kristin Stewart is her own worst enemy. Yeah, she screwed around, and I think it’s sticking to her because she’s such a victim of everybody else in her interviews.
I would have loved It if Ben and J. Lo would have married. What beautiful mixed babies the would have had. I don’t blame jennifer garner at all for disapproving of the home-wrecking
Trampire.
How do you know if Jen disapproved of Kristen? God, this is getting so old. Do you actually think she would try to hit on every man she comes in contact with? That would definitely ruin her career. I am sure she got the message loud and clear from all the hate she got with Rupert. Give it a break people, there are most interesting things to comment on instead of something that happened last July. I know, you are going to say why am I commenting on the article…because I wanted to see if people were still calling her a trampire and they are.
This is a response to Jean: you have a point but, would you leave your husband alone with Kristen in a room?
I’d leave my husband alone in a room with Kristen because I trust him and we have a solid relationship. If you can’t trust your husband, why are you with him?
We have a right to our opinion, if you don’t like it go to one of her own websites where you can worship her her crazy sheep.
I think what i want and i will say what i want. I don’t tell you what to think.
We have a right to our opinion, if you don’t like it go to one of her own websites where you can worship her with all those crazy sheep.
I think what i want and i will say what i want. I don’t tell you what to think.
he is building his carrier back …he learned from jlo and the media she brings with her.
Kristine is talent-less ..if film flops he will get all the blame by himself .
this will add nothing to him but he is experienced enough to knowythat kstew dead face will burn everything .
too much drama around her and she does not worth it as an actress.
very wise move from his side
The problem with Stewart is she has interest, but the wrong type. People are interested in her as a tabloid figure but to shell out money to see her in a non-scifi/fantasy flick? I doubt it.
Ben for Senate? Well I guess with his history he will fit right in!
Hahahahahaha! OF COURSE he did. Kristen’s career is becoming such a distaster, I almost feel bad for the girl.
Regardless of the real reasons why, Ben pulling out of the movie is a public rejection of Stewart. This right after a week where all her “sell-out” playing for award nominations didn’t produce any takers. That’s all got to sting, so yeah I almost feel bad for her (almost). Her career right now is not on sure footing.
Meanwhile this week a bunch of 2012 movie lists (Indiewire, Total Film, etc) have her boyfriend’s movie Cosmopolis listed among the top movies or most overlooked/underrated. He’s got 3 or 4 movies lined up, including one whose script is on the 2012 Blacklist. Sure, you can say that’s she’s happy for him, but in context, this has to sting as well.
Actors/actresses pull out of movies all the time. When they become attached to a movie, the schedule usually isn’t known. There are often conflicts as the schedules of their various projects firm up, and so the actor pulls out if they can’t resolve it. Very, very rarely does it have to do with who else is in the cast. Do you really think an actor at Ben Affleck’s level is going to run away from a movie he wanted to do because he’s scared of little old Kristen Stewart? Do you think he didn’t know she was being cast in the first place, before it became public? Please. Some of you really need to get a grip on reality.
Check the headlines related to this story. Ben dodged a PR nightmare, and a PR nightmare is the last thing he needs. His whole life was a PR nightmare for over a decade. If ANY actor would drop a film because of bad publicity, it would be Ben Affleck. He’s worked so hard to be taken seriously, and I think he wants to keep it that way. The timing of his departure after being signed on for so long is too fishy. Too many gossip stories and tabloid covers were popping up. He did the right thing for his career.
@Ann – you might have glossed over how I began
my comment…please see “Regardless of the real reasons why”.
That said, if you think this had nothing to do with the bad PR that this would generate, and was already generating for him, then maybe you need to take your own suggestion and grip some reality.
He’s not scared of Stewart, he’s scared of the association with Stewart. That had to be atleast one factor in his decision. I’ve worked in the media industry for quite some time so, I know this reality pretty well. That is reality.
mia, I hear what you are saying, but I think people are forgetting the short life of the tabloid newscycle. Yes, Stewart has understandably been all over the tabs in 2012. But Focus won’t come out until 2014. The tabs will have moved on to other, newer, more newsworthy stories long before then. Twilight will be long over, Stewart has no other projects before then. People are already bored with the constant (and increasingly ridiculous) stories about her. The stars that have movies out in 2013 will be the ones in the tabloid press in the year ahead.
I don’t think you will see much of her in 2013. If her people are smart (and I do wonder if they are, tbh) they will keep her on the DL until her next movie comes out, which won’t be for a long time. Their story will likely be that she’s just working and living a quiet life, and she’ll come back “older and wiser”. IF they’re smart.
Affleck isn’t afraid of publicity, or the reputations of costars. He does have a lot of projects going on and something had to give. The others are more serious fare, and this is likely the one he felt least passionate about. It will be interesting to see who they cast, but I don’t think they’ll have a problem. If people like Gosling, Stone and Affleck were interested to begin with, it must be a decent script. Schedule conflicts happen. All the time.
I got your point Ann, but you gotta see that there are some suspicious things in this history.
Ben Affleck went dinner with Emma Stone to try to convince her to do the movie (there are some pictures out there, just google it) after she already had turned it down (when Gosling was involved). So, to me, it seems that he really wanted to make this movie, otherwise he wouldn’t pursued Emma.
Schedules can be worked out, we all know that.
Right after Kristen was confirmed to the role, Ben dropped out. I think it’s pretty clear that he didn’t want to work with her and he IS, indeed, afraid of publicity, or the reputations of costars.
@ Ann
“I hear what you are saying, but I think people are forgetting the short life of the tabloid newscycle.”
I am not so sure about the short life, they still bring up Brangelina in every Aniston story and vice versa. When it comes to cheating with a married person, they won´t let it go so easily.
Unfortunately for Kristin, I doubt this incident will have a short shelf-life. She’s associated with a franchise a lot of people felt emotionally involved in and, rationally or not, they felt betrayed by her behavior. They’re not going to just forget about it.
Trampire is no femme fatale. More like Medusa. She even has the hairdo. May this finally be the beginning of the end of her “acting career” and constant tabloid/celeb site presence.
Amen!
It’s pretty hard to think of Kristen as a femme fatale given she only has one facial expression. Being a femme fatal and someone with low morals are two different things.
And the photo op with sparkly vampire follows in 3,2,1
The movie sounds awful but I don’t get why everyone is acting like this has something to do with kristen’s cheating. I understand that it’s an easy story/narrative to write but it’s so lame.
Studios aren’t built on morals and values, their built on shrewd business tactics and money. Kristen’s getting scripts but she seems to be taking her time.
After the crazy year she’s had (success on screen and infamy in tabs) it’s for the best that she lays low for a while.
Dropping out of a film with a tabloid headliner co-star IS a business decision though. That’s MY point. It doesn’t have to be “Jen refuses to let him work with the trampire!” It’s more likely as simple as Ben has worked for YEARS to clean his image up, and just being in talks for this film got him tabloid covers already. Blind items would’ve followed, body language analysis, rumors from the set. For a guy who’s in Oscar contention and thinking of running for office someday, a lame romcom film isn’t worth that kind of negative publicity.
There’s also the fact that Stewart is hated by the general public and can’t carry a film, so he would’ve carried the burden in a way he wouldn’t have if Emma Stone had taken the role.
He’s been attached to the project for a while. Kristen signs on, rumors and gossip start, and not even two weeks later, Ben is OUT. For someone like Ben Affleck who knows a lot about bad press, and who is past that point in his life, getting out of this project was the right move. The tabloids would have been all over it, and he’s so image conscious now, it’s very probable he dropped it because of the K-Stew stink.
Totally agree. No way a serious actor campaigning for an Oscar (one that actually has a chance, not one who’s embarrassing his deluded ass like Kristen) will work with someone who will bring the tabloids to his front door obscuring his work in the process. He’s been there with JLo and that almost ruined his career. This was a business decision and I’m sure Jennifer is relieved. He’s finally back being taken seriously after being absolutely loathed during his Bennifer years.
If Kristen thought this mess was behind her, she’s in for a rude awakening. In instances like this is when she and us should realize what being stupid and selfish cost her. You can think the public and the media forgave her, as did her boyfriend, but the real repercursions will come from the industry’s A-listers who won’t consider it safe to work with her without being slandered in the press for stories that sell money. No self-respecting serious actor would let his work to be overshadowed by nasty, cheap gossip and sadly for her, this is exactly the people she thinks she’s entitled to work with.
It has a lot to do with KS’ antics- totally agree with article- u want to win an Oscar? Then don’t end up as tabloid fodder- which this movie had already turned in to, w/o any footage being shot. He has matured-way to go Ben.
Assuming movie still gets made- why not Colin Ferrell? Also Jim Sturgess? I like them both and would help the movie.
I’m sure Gerard Butler is free… or maybe Mario Lopez.
Mario Lopez…HAHAHAHA…Eddie Cibrian might also have to be a contender now!!
I think the casting for this movie, and the difficulty the studio is having locking in actors, is pretty interesting. First of all the subject matter is tough since con-man movies need to be sharp with some nice surprises that the audience can’t see coming. The script will have to be pretty perfect. Which it obviously isn’t since the studio can’t seem to get a good pairing to commit to the project. And who ever thought KS could do comedy? I’m just not seeing it. BA and KS trying to sell a screen romance? BA is old enough to be her father and KS can’t even sell a romance with her supposed boyfriend (yeah, see what I did there?) and I can’t imagine these two having any chemistry. Awkward. KS’s career isn’t going too well . . .
I’m not sure if they would have actually got down and dirty but speculation would have been rife. We all remember how openly Benny boy gushed about Blake after ‘The Town’ and I think with his history coupled with Kstew’s this would have been a nightmare for them but fantastic gossip fodder for us.
LOL! The krisbians were celebrating as if this was Argo or the next Good Will Hunting “See? I told you! She’s the Queen.” Watch her drop out of this too. Ben was the only reason she signed on. This is hilarious. No one wants to work with her. What happened to Lying in Darkness? All the hype is PR created. Proof is there – she has nothing lined up. Nobody wants to work with her. She did damage her career with her affair.
And yeah, Jennifer definitely put an end to that. I completely believe that. Both Ben and Kristen have proven to be classless and unprofessional, but I bet Kristen is kicking herself thinking “You know, if you’re going to do something like that at least pick a Ben Affleck and not some greasy nobody director.”
I feel like she legit doesn’t feel sorry for the affair. She would do it again. All these sexed up clothes at premieres make me think that she felt a sexual awakening from the whole affair, which means she’s not sorry. Red flag, Rob. Red flag.
Except I don’t think KS can walk away from this project. She needs it badly, with so little else lined up.
Comments to a similar story in HuffPost are quite entertaining, with initially hardly any Krisbians showing up.
But now I see comments have ballooned from 200 to 500+, which probably means they have now moved in. They sure are a hoot. I wonder how Krisbians communicate to know which story to shoot down.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/19/ben-affleck-focus-actor-kristen-stewart-movie_n_2332393.html?utm_hp_ref=entertainment
They are in such denial and it’s hilarious to me how they keep having her ~Goddess be rejected so publicly with so many projects cancelled after her affair and they don’t even know what to say anymore. Ben wants to run for Senator too, for God’s sake! Is he going to let himself be associated with a girl who now everyone sees as someone who sleeps with married co-workers? Take note, girls. A bad decision can really turn things around for you. She would not be in this predicament if she hadn’t chosen to act out like this. Count all the projects she lost in less than six months and how half-assed the Balenciaga promo was.
This thing is going to hunt her for a while because tabloids never forget. Serious actors will not go anywhere near tabloid drama, especially those who have families.
She needs to take a break. It’s gotta sting how she keeps being snubbed for awards she most definitely thought she had a shot at. And how project after project keeps being cancelled, people dropping out, everything falling apart. Way to go Stew! You wanted to go through hardships and be screwed over by life. Careful what you wish for.
What I find so amusing are the people who can’t stand her and find fault with everything she does, says, wears, etc. yet they take the time to link her interviews and pics to support their rants. It means they’re following her career as closely as her fans…you know, people who actually like and support her and her films. I can understand seeking out info and reading news items on someone you’re a fan of but why bother with someone who obviously rubs you the wrong way? I guess some people like trashing others too much to stop.
Michelle – some fans like their objects of interest and some dislike theirs. People are like that, look at sports, fans often pick a team they root for and another as a rival they boo. It’s just human nature.
Annie. I think her career could have survived the scandal, but it was her attitude and lack of professionalism that is killing her. The perchulant, childish, I am a above it attitude is what it doing it. If RDJ and Tom Cruise can continue to get work with their tabloid history, so can she. Show up, be a pro, and do your job. The other crap won’t matter.
I don’t know. I mean what serious actor wants to be tabloid fodder? Especially one who has political ambitions?
Of course her attitude hurts her too but ultimately she’s paying the price lf the affair. Ben wasn’t even filming and there were already two covers. He backed up slowly from that mess. This is all Kristen will be for awhile especially if it involves married co-stars.
Ben wants to be taken seriously,working with someone like Kristen would have made his life a media circus.I don’t blame him for dodging this bullet.
I think he would have stayed on if she at least got some award nomination to go along with the tabloid fodder. He dropped out quickly a week after she failed to get even a golden globe nomination. Smart career move.
Ben wasn’t just attached to Focus, he was confirmed. Big difference.
I don’t think he needed Jen to steer him away. I imagine bad memories of his Jennifer Lopez led trip through trashy tabliod journalism were enough. Argo has done so well. Ben’s rebuilding his career and establishing his credibility. After the close call with Blake Lively he doesn’t need another round of problems with Stewart. It’s public perception that’s the problem here.
I love the jagged wine bottle scenario. Every time someone pisses me off during my PMS, I am going to picture me doing this, replete with smashing the bottle on my tile counter AS I go into a heel spin.
Sigh… then I will most likely need to pause my “Obey Me” speech as I get a dustpan and brush; which will change my narrative from I AM SUPREME to “Why can’t we keep this house clean for ONE DAY.” Followed by tears.
j.eyre, your vignettes are wonderfully fabulous. 🙂 I would never expect you to menace Mr. Rochester with a broken bottle.
Are you kidding – with that mess in the attic? He would see a broken bottle as foreplay!
@j.eyre 🙂
I do believe J. Garnz put the proverbial smackdown on that.
To quote one of the great philosophers of my generation she ‘Laid the smackdown on his candy ass’
Johnson, Dwayne.
*claps pretentiously*
Ahh, yes. Mr. The Rock sure does know his shiz-nit, wouldn’t you say dahhling?
I’m confused as to why she’s doing this movie.
I thought she wanted to drop back and do some Indie movie roles for a while.
She doesn’t have to worry about money and -with her name recognition- she wouldn’t have so much trouble landing parts.
Because it’s available and the producer is a friend.
Jeez, do you all think Russell Crow is banging every co-star? Dude was photographed kissing Meg Ryan, who was married with kids… double standards and the idea that she’ll fuck any guy forever are ridic. Ben’s a big enough star that if he didn’t want KStew cast or attached to the project, she would not be….He’s already doing a shitty film with Justin Timberlake, so he really doesn’t need another B film with a Twilight star. Plus, he may be running for office and he may not have realized how bad the tabloids would be in concern to KStew.
A. Crowe’s career did take a hit after that. He lied low, hooked up with Danielle Spencer and the gears were set in motion again. Crowe was known as a real terror back then and studios took notice. He is getting better at the media game and is at lease owning up to some of his faults. A little self awareness can go a long way, in any career field.
Russell cleaned up his rep by returning to Australia after the affair and marrying his old sweetheart. Meg destroyed hers with the divorce from Dennis. That’s what clinched it for both of them. It’s not the affair so much as the aftermath that dictates longterm public opinion.
I actually think KStew would be so much better off if she took note from how Russell and Sienna handled their shit. She should lay low, do an indie or two that are somewhat marketable, and then do a mainstream project. She has friends in the industry and still enough star power to land a role in a decent indie. Even Zac Efron is landing some decent supporting roles.
The problem is less that Ben dropped out and more that the press is making such a big deal about it. Actors drop out of films frequently, and there are several valid reasons why he would have dropped out. Plus, like I said he has enough power in that she a) would never have been cast or b) would have been able to have her kicked off if he was really that opposed to working with her. The fact that the press is even covering this to an extent means they are basically going to be all up in KStew’s biz for the foreseeable future.
A, you’re on the money. People here act like major movie stars let the nonsense reported in tabloids dictate their roles and career paths. As if. They know the tabloids are b.s.
If Affleck didn’t have a conflict or really wanted the role, he absolutely could have had veto power over his costar. If he didn’t want Stewart, she’d have been out – not him.
@A Yes, she hasn’t played this well imo. To some degree she had no choice. Twilight wasn’t something she could hide from. But the see thru clothes, the defiant attitude, many of the quotes taken from On The Road interviews (threesomes and whatnot) – too much not working in her favor. “keep ’em guessin'”? Not the right approach. Not at all.
I disagree somewhat about Affleck. He’s on what you might say is precarious ground. He wants that Oscar and he doesn’t want to blow the resulting high like he did with the last one. It’s not that often a HW star is given a second chance and this is his. Was Focus worth risking that? No. Again, I don’t believe it’s Kristen per se, it’s the sort of publicity Kristen brings. The tabs were already on his tail over this. Bottom line is he has better, less troubled projects on his plate to concentrate on.
“studios are still very wary of letting her carry a film.” Please, it’s not like she “carried” Twilight films. The books they’re based on are what started the fan craze. If another actress had been cast instead, that actress would have had the same frenzied following based on her being the character.
Exactly…and as a fan of the books…oh, how I wish there would have been different casting for ALL of the main parts!
Snoring.
This would’ve been gossip gold. Damn it, Ben!
That’s exactly why he hit the road, JLo tabloid-burned him once and now he sensibly wants to avoid a second burn.
Now she should start working with animals,children and lesbian,or gay directors.Everybody would have been save.Oh,and with Robert.LOL
Lol poor Kristen, regardless of whether or not his backing out has anything to do with her, that’s the way it’s going to be spun in the media. Really curious to see who will be cast as Ben’s replacement.
The original people approached for this movie were Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, who both turned it down. Then Affleck was cast with KS rumored as a potential co-star. As much as I don’t like KS (and I don’t really care for BA either), I really don’t think he dropped out because of her. If her being cast was going to be such a problem for the Garner-Affleck’s wouldn’t he have pulled some clout and asked for a different co-star, because I do think he’d be able do that. Actors do drop out of stuff all the time and he is involved in a couple of other projects and maybe felt like he could not give this role the attention it needed. Or had second thoughts about the script?
It’s possible he had concerns about scheduling or the script, but he’s been signed on for this project for a long time. Logic says he would have already seen a script and know what his schedule would allow for. As to the clout thing, Ben has been through bad press before and has learned (for the most part) what moves to make to avoid looking like an ass in the press. Overt pressure to have Kristen fired would get backlash from half the public–the Twihard half- and Ben would want to avoid that at all costs, I think. It’s my opinion that he did put some subtle pressure behind the scenes, but when Kristen was officially cast he decided to bow out. Think about it: he’s been cast a long time and even took Emma Stone out to dinner to convince her to sign on to the project. He was so fired up about this movie before Kristen was officially signed, so what has changed to make him drop out? Methinks it was WHO was cast opposite him. Kristen, for all her die-hard Twitard fans, has had a ton of bad press this year and isn’t known to be a good actress. And before someone spouts off that it is only Twilight that she’s bad in, I’ve seen Welcome to the Riley’s (not a good performance), she got a lot of poor reviews for On the Road, and she was completely herself in Adventureland (lip-biting, hair-clutching, hooking up with a married man). The only explanation that fits is he didn’t like his costar.
Meh. I agree that Ben Affleck is too big of a star to work with KStew. He already did a movie with Justin Timberlake, he does not need another film like that…However, she would have never even been considered in the first place if he did not agree with it…and the public would have never even found out, so there wouldn’t have been any backlash. So that’s kind of moot. Kstew, not her but the tabloid frenzy she creates, was just a small part. He’s writing and directing two Oscar bait films and is signed on to another Oscar bait third. He does not need a fluff film or some tabloid stories, so he dropped the weakest link. Plus, the whole political thing. I think he just realized he had way too much going on and did not realize the extent of the tabloids surrounding her until recently. Also, she didn’t get a lot of poor reviews for On the Road. Her reviews were good enough that the studio backed an ill fated campaign for both her and Hedlund. A studio wouldn’t sink that kind of money in if she was getting ripped apart. She had a snowballs chance in hell, but the fact that her name was brought up as a long long shot in both The Hollywood Reporter and Indiewires awards coverage also drives home the fact that she got good reviews. Now, the movie on the other hand is mixed to negative.
I’m way more curious to see if Ben really runs for the senate. Very suspicious that his rep won’t comment.
Only stupid people would think she will want him. Or something will happen. I say it is better FOR HER than FOR HIM they didn’t stared together. Actors has to be comfortable to play a certain parts. I don’t think they can able to be that. I think the right person will come. A not attached man is a better fit imo. She is young and this is her time to play love affairs to the max if she gonna do them.
She wouldn’t want him? Look what she had an affair with. She’s not exactly?smart.
Not any worse than him he did j.lo while she was with dancer and done all that …. just to throw her and everything under a bus now. May be when she is 40 she will be the same.
No , my point is it is not something right to established her in that now just because she did one guy in her eairly 20s.
Karma. That is all that needs to be said.
I don’t know if you remember but I loved how Kristen’s sexual activities became equally important as the lives of the people who died at the cinema shooting in Colorado, the both things happened almost at the same. The press and everybody else were fighting to decide what was more important.
If Kristen’s activities were revealed now perhaps she would make people forget what happened in Sandy Hook.
I love when celebrities make up huge scandals, real life is so dramatic. I always find interesting how something happening in a celebrity’s life become so important to thousands or millions of people.
I think Kristen is an awful actress, perhaps spending two years or more away would be good for her, it would be good spend time doing other profitable things like making loads of money doing something else. When she decides to come back doing movies hopefully she will make people think she is the greatest.
Well-played by Ben Affleck. There has been talk that he may be up for an Oscar for his film “Argo” and now there is talk of him joining the senate and/or some sort of political capacity. He is looking to the future and warding off any potential rumors that could come about from him filming with Kristen, being that now she has been painted as a “homewrecker/cheater” in the media. He probably does not want to ruin his Oscar chances or tain his image of anything he advocates for politically.
Oh gosh, I don’t REALLY think KS is a man-magnet at all, I still think she mostly looks like an overgrown teenager, although sometimes they make her look sexy and provocative with makeup and clothes, but then I see those little white legs, which do not speak femme fatale to me…for some reason, Rupert Sanders took more than a liking to her, but I mostly fault her for her crappy personality before the affair, giving the middle finger time and time again and reading her horrible little angst interviews & rebellious chat on talk shows…that just turned me off big time to her, not the cheating scandal. I also do not think Jen Garner and Ben have to worry because they have a wonderful marriage and a beautiful family. Jen is a totally mature and lovely person and Ben knows how lucky he is to have her.