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UPFRONTS 2013: The Overachievers 
BREAKING: Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are reuniting in their first real picture partnership since Good Will Hunting. The Boston guys are taking on the story of New England’s most notorious gangster, Whitey Bulger. Warner Bros will make the film, Affleck will direct, co-star and produce with Damon, who’ll play Bulger. They’ll produce under their Pearl Street Films banner. Boardwalk Empire creator and writer Terence Winter is penning the script. Casey Affleck, who also starred in Good Will Hunting and Gone Baby Gone, will play a supporting role as well.
“Matt and I have been looking for something to do together for some time,” Affleck said. “We’ve heard about Whitey Bulger since we were kids, and we are excited by the prospect of putting it on screen.” Ironically, Damon played a crooked cop in The Departed, the Martin Scorsese-directed film that took a page from the Bulger story. He is the notorious South Boston crime boss who fled in 1994 and remained a fugitive for 16 years — 12 of them on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted List. He was arrested in June in Santa Monica. The story will cover Bulger’s youth to his incarceration on Alcatraz, through his rise to become a mob boss while secretly serving as an FBI informant for decades. Pearl Street’s Chay Carter will be executive producer.
“When Ben mentioned this to Jeff and Sarah, they jumped immediately,” said Greg Silverman, Warner Bros Pictures president of production. “It’s a perfect fit of story with the ideal artists to bring that story to the screen, and it’s so great to be heading back to Boston with Ben and Matt.”
Affleck is currently shooting Argo for Warner Bros and is in the mix for a number of films at the studio. Warner Bros wants him for its adaptation of Stephen King’s The Stand, though it is unclear whether Affleck will make that film. Damon just starred in the Steven Soderbergh-directed Contagion for Warner Bros. Casey Affleck’s about to open in Tower Heist. He, Ben Affleck and Damon are repped by WME. Winter’s repped by CAA. Casey Affleck’s managed by Brillstein Entertainment Partners.
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Works for me.
Everybody in Boston knows the REAL boss of Winter HIll was Howie Winter by far the most liked, respected and honorable one. He is a “mans man” and the real deal. Even though Whitey set him up for 20yrs in prison he never gave up anybody, he could have given information to reduce his time, merely did his time and is quoted as saying ” I wouldn’t give up my worst enenmy , I am no rat.” Howie was a peacemaker, the smartest one of the group and ONLY credible source. Whitey wasn’t even around when the GANGS WARS of the 60′s to 70′s happened which is the story we want to hear here . Not another ruthless killer story already done..
Yea but nobody cares about Somerville. I hope they can stop with this stuff in general. Nobody cares about this and its all been made out to be a much bigger deal than it ever should have been. In the scope of events in Boston, it’s not what the city is or ever was about and was in truth only a story because of the way he evaded capture.
What do you mean nobody cares about Somerville, I DO . I’ve been out of there for many yrs. but I still think of it go there occasionally and my kids still ask about somerville. My Dad was alderman there, we me and Bobby Pickett my brother went to school there. Many wonderful memories. Go Somerville.
lynda
It would work for me too it they got the right story about the Winter Hill Gang. Whitey was in jail during the 60′s 70′s Gang War which is what solidifed the Winter Hill Gang of Somerville. The leader and most credible one to tell this story is well respected Howard T Winter. Howie took over the WHG when Mclean was killed by McLaughlin, Howie took over and avenged his friends honor by whipping out the McLaughlin Gang. He’s the real deal and the story that most interests the public.. Howie saved Whitey who came to him after the wars were over in 1970. Whitey then set Howie up to do time.
now here is a project to get really really excited about.
Mr.s Affleck will do catering, Mr. Damon will do sound, little Matt Jr. will play the young whitey, while cousin Ottis Affleck from the West Virginia Afflecks will play the tough ans nails cop.
Best news Ive heard all Monday. Perfect guys to star and create this project. Can’t wait to see this, another Academy Award for Damon/Affleck.
Perfect duo to do this historical story of Whitey Bulger. Coming from the Boston area I think they will get the importance of the story across in a movie. I have faith in these two and if possible I think it will even be better than Goodwill Hunting!! do this!!!!
Renner would make a better Whitey.
Totally agree. He’d be perfect.
Martin Scorsese is directing a 3D movie and Ben Affleck is directing the Whitey Bulger story.
This won’t happen. Ben’s attached to direct about five films right now. Damon is busy acting and about to direct his first feature. Winter is busy with Boardwalk Empire.
And the Bulger story is exactly like Departed and you’re going to put Matt Damon in it again?
I love all these guys, but there is an entire world of stories outside of Boston.
The BEST and ONLY story that Bostonians want to see is about the real boss of Winter HIll Gang, Howie Winter this is the most credible as Howie is the ony one who never ratted anyone out! Nobody wants see Whitey Bulger story even in Boston!
Agree! Now there’s a story!
Rock On!!!!!! Nothing better than the Howie Winter Story! Such an interesting man!
Okay guys! Whose gonna be first with “I loved this when it was THE DEPARTED”?
You.
Good point. Didn’t quite think that one out thoroughly…
Who knows? What I *do* know is that, when it happens, it’ll be absolute gold.
Take care my friend.
Love,
Albert W. Cheslingtonsson
Genius, this is the perfect union of talent and topic!!
Boys make room on you mantel’s!
exciting project. lots of potential.
I hope Matt Dillon will also be in this. I’ve always wanted to see him do a movie with Matt Damon.
Very happy that they are coming to Boston to film this and having these two team up again is awesome. Beantown rocks!
Just what the world needs – another Affleck/Damon Boston movie.
First real picture partnership since Good Will Hunting. I mean, sure, they had jokey cameos in Jay and Silent Bob, but I’d call Dogma a real picture partnership. Kevin Smith may not be the most popular director, but it’s a little disrespectful to just shove his movies aside.
The Bulger story has been floating around Hollywood for quite some time now. The great book “Black Mass” was optioned by Redford a ways back. As have books by some of Bulger’s associates.
It’s a tough nut to crack, so many ways to approach this story, so many angles. Hopefully, they’ll get it done well. Do due diligence in the writing phase, because all the flash and pizzazz and emoting on the screen won’t save a mediocre script.
But, these 2 have shown they can pull it off. Affleck did a great job of shaping “Gone Baby Gone” and Damon has been making smart choices in recent years, working with the best filmmakers.
AMazing news. WOOO.
Nobody mentioned above would`ve gotten a toe-hold w/out Angiulo`s initial ok then to be set up & dismantled by Zip Connolly, the crooked rat FBI agent (doing heavy time for murder ) who put Southie loyalty ahead of god & country. Yeah, this could be a keeper if done right. Enuff here for Shakespeare. Go get em Ben!
P.S. Ask Chaz Palmentieri to give the Grecian Formula a rest & play Gerry Angiulo. He`d be wikkid pissah.
This has got disaster writ large all over the fucking place. Who’s Ben gonna be? Kev 2 Weeks? Yikes!
It’s gonna do very well because it will suck like the Retar…I mean the Departed- which was actually a decent Chinese movie before Marty wrecked it. They gonna do the bisexual shit? How about what’s his face the indian and the note at the funeral? Alcatraz super soldier LSD anyone?
If Casey’s playing Pat Nee I’m gonna flip the fuck out. Look for the standard lousy accents (matt’s beantown is slightly less believeable than christian Bale’s Lowellian) shitty costumes and Turtle in the role of John Connoly (it’s central casting…what you want? tears?)
Would have made a great indie joint but it would have had to have been a meditative long shot fest focusing on the decade after Jim lambed it. Bayou, Ireland, Cali…You coulda written it right out of the Globe “whitey on the run” series.
Or they might have done a kick ass monster movie- Feds feed acid to a pure psycopath for a year, knock 20 off the sentence and set him loose in the community as an experiment.
You can’t make a book out of Black Mass- no one’s gonna believe that shit.
Hopefully Matty will at least study the FBI vids to get the faggy hand and wrist action right. Whitey pretty much invented “jazz hands.”
“If Casey’s playing Pat Nee I’m gonna flip the fuck out” — I couldn’t have said it better myself.
“The Town,” though decent, was an embarrassment to Boston — robbing Fenway Park!?! Please. No one in Southie wants Matt and Ben to make this movie. Believe that.
Hi I’m so excited about the guy’s doing the movie about whitie bulger. I’m from somerville, my brother BOBBY PICKETT WROTE AND SANG THE MONSTER MASH. I watch everything and anything done by the guy’s Mat and Ben, being from Somerville I can’t wait to see this movie if it comes to frutation. I’ve even found Alex Rocco on line and he came to my house in Somerville to see my dear brother Bobby Pickett. Thanks
Lynda Pickett,(Proctor)
Im curious to see if there going to add people he surrounded himself around in the film.actors to play fleming..and..joe the animal…and others.i have a fealing its not gona be your normal 2hr movie.and the story told will be captivating.like all other work done by this team……….go get em
Ben Affleck: Please buy the rights to THE BOONDOCK SAINTS and reboot the thing… make the movie the way it should have been made. You could do that movie right… bring out the true essence of the concept. The first two versions of THE MALTESE FALCON were swings and misses… you would hit a grand slam on a BOONDOCK SAINTS remake. A REWRITE and REMAKE and REBOOT.