Following the success of his last directorial effort Argo, Ben Affleck next's directing gig will be Live by Night, the upcoming film adaption of the 2012 Dennis Lehane mystery novel partially set in Tampa.
So, will Ben choose our beloved backyard as a filming location for his next project?
Possibly.
Tampa Bay & Co., the city's tourism agency, is currently trying to recruit Affleck and the project by sending him photos of possible locations for filming in Ybor City and other Tampa areas according to the Tampa Bay Business Journal.
The caveat to the whole proposal, though, is that the state of Florida is out of tax credits for its entertainment industry financial incentive program, the Journal reports. This presumably means, Affleck might face a relatively heftier price tag for the creation of Live by Night if he decides to film it here.
The final decision ultimately lies in the hands of Pearl Street and Appian Way, the two film companies overseeing the project which are owned by Affleck and longtime comrade Matt Damon.
Affleck's directorial debut, 2007's Gone Baby Gone was also an adaptation from a novel by Dennis Lehane who's also got personal ties to the Tampa Bay area. The bestselling novelist graduated from Eckerd College in St. Pete.
We'll keep you updated as the story develops.
