After winning an Oscar this year, you might think Casey Affleck would follow brother Ben into the world of superheroes, like other academy winners before him. But he's sticking with the world of drama, signing on to Stoner for director Joe Wright.
Not about someone who enjoys pot on a regular basis, it's instead adapting John Williams' novel, which follows the life of William Stoner, a poor farmer who becomes an academic, emerging as an unlikely hero while navigating the first half of the 20th Century. Andrew Bovell wrote the script, which marks Wright's return to potentially smaller-scale films after Pan.
Producer Jason Blum, usually known for his Blumhouse horror label, bought the rights to the book in 2011 and has now set up the new film. "Because the novel is so beautiful but not well-known, fans of Stoner feel like they’re in a secret club. I’m so excited that Casey, Joe and Andrew have come aboard to help expand this club’s membership," Blum tells Variety. "This quintessentially American work is being brought to the screen by a terrific international team and we’re confident their combined perspectives will add rich layers to this moving story."
Last seen in David Lowery's A Ghost Story, Affleck next has the director's Old Man And The Gun due next year.