Steven Spielberg refused to direct Man About Town with Ben Affleck after the actor made his son cry during a family vacation. Director Mike Binder revealed Spielberg cited this incident and Affleck’s past flops as reasons to drop the project
Steven Spielberg and Ben Affleck. Pics/AFP, Getty Images, Instagram, Youtube
Filmmaker Steven Spielberg refused to make Man About Town (2006) with Ben Affleck because the actor had made his son cry. Director Mike Binder made this revelation on Stephen Baldwin’s podcast.
Steven Spielberg, who wanted to produce ‘Man About Town’, dropped it when Ben Affleck was cast in it
He recalled writing Man About Town under the belief that Spielberg would be at the helm and release it through his DreamWorks company. While the filmmaker was interesting in directing it, he dropped the project when he found out the Good Will Hunting star was on board to play the lead role. Binder recounted, “We [Affleck and him] made a deal that he’s gonna do Man About Town, we shook hands. I call Steven and he says, ‘No. Can’t do it with him. We just bombed with a movie with him, he’s got that whole J-Lo thing going on now, and I have other problems with him’.”
Mike Binder
According to Binder, the filmmaker accused Affleck of fighting with his son on a family vacation when the actor was dating Spielberg’s goddaughter Gwyneth Paltrow. Binder recalled being told by Spielberg, “My son was playing in the pool, and he got out of it. When Ben came in fully dressed, my son pushed him into the pool. Ben got really mad at him, and he came out of the pool, picked him up and threw him back into the pool. He made my son cry.’ I just don’t like to work with him. Plus his last two movies bombed. Find somebody else. Anyone but him. He’s cold as hell’.”
Binder added that when he told Affleck’s agents the news of the actor potentially being dropped, the actor immediately called him. The director added, “Ben said, ‘Did Steven Spielberg tell you I threw his kid in the water? Is that why I’m not in your movie?’” Binder eventually made the movie with Affleck, and when he told Spielberg about his intentions, DreamWorks dropped the project.
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