Ben Affleck to replace Ed Norton in State of Play

Posted by fanshawe

December 20, 2007

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Ben Affleck is rumoured to be replacing Edward Norton in the upcoming political thriller State of Play, directed by Kevin Macdonald (The Last King of Scotland).

Norton was set to play a congressman entangled in a murder scandal, while his Fight Club co-star Brad Pitt was to play the journalist investigating the scandal. The screenplay was written by Billy Ray (Hart’s War, Shattered Glass, Breach) and Matthew Michael Carnahan (The Kingdom, Lions for Lambs, White Jazz).

The filming date was pushed from November to January when Brad Pitt dropped out of the political drama over script differences last month. Subsequent concerns over filming delays brought on by Pitt’s last minute departure prompted Norton to also abandon ship to do another film, Leaves of Grass. Directed by Tim Blake Nelson, Leaves of Grass will see Ed Norton playing identical twins: one, a scholar and the other a pot smoking criminal. Pitt, in the meantime, is reportedly in talks to replace Heath Ledger and star alongside Sean Penn in Terrence Malick’s Tree of Life.

In the meantime, Pitt has been replaced by Russell Crowe in the role of the journalist investigating the murder scandal and now Ben Affleck is rumoured to be in talks to replace Ed Norton in the role of the congressman.

If he lands the role, he will be joining Crowe, Helen Mirren, Rachel McAdams, Jason Bateman and Robin Wright Penn on the set.