Ben Affleck and ex-wife Jennifer Garner are reportedly in talks to team up for his upcoming movie.
The 51-year-old actress, who was married to Affleck, 51, for 13 years from 2005 to 2018, is “in negotiations” to star opposite Matt Damon in the Netflix crime thriller, “Animals,” which will be directed and produced by her ex-husband, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
The outlet reported Garner’s potential casting last Friday, days after Affleck and his second wife Jennifer Lopez starred together in a hit Super Bowl commercial.
Lopez recently addressed the overwhelmingly positive response the ad received, saying on “Today with Hoda & Jenna,” “No… I know that everything [Ben] does is great … because he’s a brilliant director and writer … when he came up with the whole thing it was … hilarious.”
While on the show, Lopez also issued a warning to anyone who flirts with her husband, “Don’t play with me. Do not play with me,” she stated before saying, “First of all, I’m a lover, not a fighter, but I will let them know in a very elegant and lady-like way to step all the way off.”
Jennifer Garner, left, is reportedly in talks to star in Ben Affleck’s next directorial project. (Getty)
Written by screenwriters Connor McIntyre and Billy Ray, “Animals” will follow a politician and his wife who had “no choice but to get their hands dirty” to save their son after he is kidnapped. Damon is set to play the politician, while Garner would be portraying his wife.
In addition to starring, Damon will produce the film alongside Affleck through their studio Artists Equity. Dani Bernfeld of Artists Equity and MakeReady’s Brad Weston and Collin Creighton are also producing.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, production on “Animals” could begin in March.
Affleck has collaborated on-screen with Garner before, though this would be the first time that the two-time Oscar winner has directed her in a project.
The former couple have co-starred in films before, but Ben Affleck has never directed his former wife in a project. (Getty Images)
The “Argo” star has also teamed up a number of times with Lopez, whom he married in July 2022. The couple fell in love after they met in 2001 on the set of the 2003 romantic comedy crime movie “Gigli,” in which they both starred.
In the movie, Affleck played Larry Gigli, a mob enforcer who teams up with female gangster Ricki (Lopez) to kidnap the intellectually challenged brother of a federal prosecutor at the behest of Gigli’s boss. Though Lopez’s character is a lesbian, she and Gigli embark on a romance and eventually run away together.
At the time, Affleck and Lopez’s relationship was heavily publicized, and their high-profile pairing famously earned them the nickname “Bennifer.” The two worked together again in 2002 when Affleck made a cameo appearance in the singer’s music video for her iconic song “Jenny From the Block.”
Affleck played Lopez’s love interest in the video, in which the two are seen packing on the PDA on a boat. The video also poked fun at the tabloid frenzy around their relationship.
Jennifer Lopez and Hoda play a game called "This Is Me… Now, or Then?" that has @jlo answering rapid fire questions about everything from wearing crop tops to staying up past midnight! pic.twitter.com/myQuyfbT9a
— TODAY with Hoda & Jenna (@HodaAndJenna) February 15, 2024
In November 2002, Affleck and Lopez announced their engagement. That year, the two starred together again in the comedy-drama “Jersey Girl,” in which Lopez played the deceased wife of Affleck’s character while Liv Tyler played his new love interest.
“Gigli” was released in August 2003 and bombed at the box office, taking in $7.2 million against a $75.6 million budget. The movie was also overwhelmingly panned by critics, many of whom noted that Affleck and Lopez “lacked chemistry” despite their real-life romance.
In September 2003, Affleck and Lopez postponed their nuptials just a few days before they were set to walk down the aisle. They eventually ended their engagement in January 2004 after two years together.
Released in March 2004, “Jersey Girl” was a box office disappointment, grossing $36 million against a $35 million budget.
Ben Affleck and his wife Jennifer Lopez starred in the notorious flop “Gigli” prior to their first breakup. (AP)
Affleck went on to date Garner in August 2004 and the two married in June 2005. The former couple, who shared daughters Violet, 18, Seraphina, 15, and son Samuel, 11, separated in 2015 and finalized their divorce in 2018.
Lopez married Marc Anthony, 53, in June 2004, but the two, who are parents to 15-year-old twins Max and Emme, divorced in June 2014.
After the “On the Floor” hitmaker ended her engagement to Alex Rodriguez in March 2021, she and Affleck rekindled their romance. Twenty years after Affleck first appeared in one of Lopez’s music video, he made a brief but intimate cameo in her video for her ballad “Marry Me” in March 2022.
The “Good Will Hunting” actor’s face was not shown in the video, but he and Lopez were seen relaxing and laughing in bed and holding hands. A month later, Lopez announced that the couple were engaged for the second time.
The pair surprised fans when they announced that they tied the knot in July 2022 during a midnight ceremony at the Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas.
A month later, the two married again during an extravagant three-day celebration at Affleck’s sprawling estate in Riceboro, Georgia.
Since reuniting and tying the knot, the two have continued collaborating on professional projects. (Johnny Nunez)
Since tying the knot, the couple have continued to collaborate on professional projects, including two commercials for Dunkin’ Donuts, which has a brand partnership with Affleck.
Last year, they appeared in an ad in which Affleck worked as a Dunkin’ employee, and Lopez acted as a customer in the drive-thru.
The couple were featured in a star-studded Dunkin’ Donuts commercial that aired during Super Bowl LVIII on Feb. 11. In the ad, Affleck teamed up with Damon and Tom Brady to form the boy band The DunKings for Dunkin’.
Clad in pink and orange Dunkin’ tracksuits, the trio surprised Lopez in her studio where she is seen drinking from a sparkly Dunkin’ cup during a recording session with rapper Fat Joe.
The ad was a hit with fans and ranked among the best Super Bowl LVIII commercials.
Affleck made a surprise cameo in Lopez’s cinematic musical film “This Is Me…Now: A Love Story,” which premiered on Feb. 16. The movie is a companion to her album of the same name, which was released on the same day and was largely inspired by her rekindled romance with Affleck.
The actor played several roles in the movie. He was seen only from a distance with Lopez as they rode a motorcycle. In another part of the film, Affleck appeared unrecognizable as a blonde newscaster wearing a wig and prosthetics.
Near the end of the movie, Affleck was seen walking up to Lopez while she was attending her friend’s wedding, though his face is partially obscured. The scene then cuts to the couple riding off together on the motorcycle.
Meanwhile, in the song “Greatest Love Story Never Told,” Lopez sings about their intimacy, “Missing your body / Climbing on top of me / Slipping inside of me / Way that I ride it / Bodies aligning / Look at our timing.” She also calls their romance “destiny,” noting that they “found each other twice in one lifetime.”
The couple co-wrote the film along with its director Dave Meyers and Chris Shafer. The movie will be followed by a music documentary titled “The Greatest Love Story Never Told,” which stars Lopez, Affleck and Jane Fonda, among others.
“The Greatest Love Story Never Told” will be released on Feb. 27.
“She is thrilled that both the album and movie are doing so well,” a source told the Daily Mail about “This Is Me… Now” and the film being No. 1 on iTunes and in the top spot on Amazon Prime.
“She had a feeling her fans would react in a positive way to ‘This Is Me… Now’ because it is so personal. It is her vision and a show of her creative freedom.”
Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck first met on the set of the 2001 movie “Pearl Harbor.” (Jason Merritt)
Meanwhile, Garner’s potential casting in “Animals” would mark the first time that she and Affleck have worked together since 2005.
The former couple first met in 2000 on the set of the 2001 romantic war drama “Pearl Harbor.” In the movie, Affleck played the role of Capt. Rafe McCawley, a U.S. Army Air Force pilot who becomes involved in a love triangle with his best friend Capt. Danny Walker (Josh Hartnett) and nurse Evelyn Johnson (Kate Beckinsale) against the backdrop of World War II and the Pearl Harbor attack.
Garner had a small role as Sandra, a nurse and Evelyn’s colleague. At the time, she was married to her former “Felicity” co-star Scott Foley.
“Pearl Harbor” was a success at the box office but received mostly negative reviews from critics.
In 2003, the two co-starred in the superhero movie “Daredevil.” Affleck played Matt Murdock, a blind lawyer who has a secret identity as the crime-fighting masked vigilante Daredevil. Garner portrayed the assassin Elecktra Natchios, the love interest of Affleck’s character.
Affleck was engaged to Lopez, and Garner was still married to Foley at the time. However, the co-stars struck up a friendship and began dating in the summer of 2004 following their respective splits.
“Daredevil” was a box office hit, raking in $179.2 million against a $78 million budget, but the reaction from critics was mixed. Garner starred in a 2005 sequel titled “Elektra,” which was a critical and commercial failure.
Affleck reprized his role as Matt Murdock/Daredevil in a cameo appearance in “Elektra.” In 2004, he told the Sydney Morning Herald that he made the cameo at Garner’s request. Affleck’s one scene with Garner was ultimately cut from the movie.
In a 2013 interview with Playboy via Business Insider, Affleck said that “Daredevil” was the only movie that he regretted starring in, though he noted that there was one positive outcome.
Though the two divorced, they have remained friends and amicable co-parents. ( C Flanigan/WireImage)
“That’s where I found my wife,” he said. We met on ‘Pearl Harbor,’ which people hate, but we fell in love on ‘Daredevil.’”
After “Gigli” bombed, Affleck starred in a series of other flops. Affleck told Playboy that he “sunk into a morass” and considered leaving Hollywood behind.
He credited Garner with inspiring him to continue with his career in the entertainment industry.
“Getting to know her, falling in love with her and being connected with her gave me a foundation to reach out and say, “Okay, I’m going to do Hollywoodland; I’m going to direct ‘Gone Baby Gone,’” Affleck said. “Those were the steps forward I needed to put positive stuff on the board.”
Affleck made his directorial debut with the 2007 crime thriller “Gone Baby Gone,” which was met with positive reviews from critics and became a box office success. In 2012, Affleck directed, produced and starred in the historical drama thriller “Argo,” which was a hit and won three Academy Awards.
However, Affleck told Playboy that fans should not expect him to reunite with Garner on screen.
“My wife and I made ‘Pearl Harbor’ and ‘Daredevil,’” he told Playboy. “With our track record, I don’t know if anyone’s looking for a three-quel.”
Though they ultimately went their separate ways, Affleck and Garner have maintained a friendship and amicable co-parenting relationship. While Affleck previously ruled out the possibility of acting with Garner again, he has never addressed whether he would be open to directing her in a project.
During a 2016 appearance on CBS’ “This Morning,” the Boston native praised his ex-wife as a “real talent.”
“I am a giant fan of Jennifer. She’s just a fabulous person. She’s just a wonderful person,”he said “She’s a great mother. She’s a real talent. She has set such a good example and a lead that I follow. She’s somebody that I admire and respect and remain excellent friends with.”
