Ben Affleck moves to WB's 'Town'

Actor to star in and direct film after rewrite

By MICHAEL FLEMING

Affleck

Ben Affleck will rewrite, direct and star in "The Town," a Warner Bros. adaptation of the Chuck Hogan novel "The Prince of Thieves."

Graham King is producing through his GK Films banner.

Affleck would play a career thief who becomes smitten by the manager of a bank.

The project — which most recently had director Adrian Lyne attached — would be based in Charlestown, Mass., a gritty blue-collar Boston suburb similar to the one that Affleck captured in his directorial debut, "Gone Baby Gone."

Affleck is doing a rewrite on the most recent draft by Peter Craig and Hogan.

Affleck next stars in the Kevin Macdonald-directed "State of Play" for Universal, and is part of the romantic comedy ensemble of "He’s Just Not That Into You" for New Line.

Affleck’s repped by Endeavor.