Ben Affleck’s upcoming crime adaptation, Live By Night, is back in the spotlight. With the caped crusader finding time in his busy shooting schedule, he’s turned his attention back to his next directorial effort. And today, three of the female leads have finally been cast, with Sienna Miller, Zoe Saldana and Elle Fanning are all bagging roles in the Prohibition era drama.
Based on the novel by Dennis Lehane, whose Gone Baby Gone went on to become Affleck’s breakout directorial hit, hopes are high that this latest venture between the pair will recreate that same magic.
For those unfamiliar with the source material, the story follows the ostracized son of a police chief, Joe Coughlin, who winds up involved in organized crime. The three women cast today will all cross paths with the unlucky Coughlin during his globe-trotting jaunts. Miller is set to play a gangster’s girlfriend who Coughlin falls for; Saldana will play Graciella Suarez, a feisty lass he encounters during his travails to Cuba; and Fanning will play a mischievous sheriff’s daughter.
What’s most exciting about the announcement is that there are three women cast in roles that sound far more rich than your average lovelorn bit of crumpet. Miller’s needed a win after a series of so-so features, and with Saldana making her name in sci-fi franchises, it’ll be a welcome change to see her sink her teeth into a meatier role. As for Fanning, she’s another actress making the transition to adult roles and this sounds like another excellent project for her.
Live By Night opens on October 7th, 2016.