Writer-director Kenneth Lonergan must be counting his blessings for his upcoming movie Manchester-By-The-Sea. Because when you lose an actor like Matt Damon for your lead role you can only pray you get someone of equal talent, in the shape of Casey Affleck, in to fill his boots.
Damon had been set to star in the film but scheduling issues with his current project The Martian, directed by Ridley Scott, means Damon has had to bow out. That means Lonergan was searching for a new lead actor so who else to turn to but Damon’s Good Will Hunting co-star Casey Affleck.
Manchester-By-The-Sea will see Affleck as Boston plumber who has to return to the titular town when his brother dies. Finding himself caring for his 16 year-old nephew a dark family secret comes back to haunt him.
Lonergan, who wrote and directed the impressive Anna Paquin starrer Margaret, wrote the script with Affleck commenting about his casting; “Matt can’t do it, and, you know, if Matt’s not in it, it’ll be good.” All good banter between friends it seems. Before that Affleck will next be seen in John Hillcoat’s Triple Nine alongside Kate Winslet, Aaron Paul and Woody Harrelson. Source – Boston Globe