Ben Affleck a triple threat in Line of Sight Ben Affleck is attached to produce,star in and direct Line Of Sight,a thriller now in development at Warner Bros. The project will have to wait at least a little while production on Warners Argo,which Affleck is directing and starring in,began recently. Line Of Sight has some heavy interest: Joel Silver and Andrew Rona are on board to produce. But the movie hasnt been greenlit yet. In February,it was reported that writer F. Scott Frazier sold Line Of Sight,which he wrote as a spec script,to Warner Bros. Since then,Peter OBrien has worked on the script. The movie is about a squad of commandos who transport cargo while trying to stop an anti-government uprising. Affleck is increasingly in demand as a director. He directed and starred in the studios 2010 thriller The Town,which had a budget estimated at $37 million and grossed $154 million worldwide. Argo is also a Warner Bros. movie. Fast Five director Justin Lin signs deal with studio Fast Five director Justin Lin has signed a two-year production agreement with the Universal Pictures,the studio and Lin's Barnstorm Pictures announced recently. At Universal,Barnstorm will focus on tentpoles and distinctive mainstream films with,according to the press release,an emphasis on uncovering cutting-edge ideas and shepherding stories with a unique point of view. Current Barnstorm projects include an untitled sci-fi/crime thriller to be directed by Robert Glickert,an action-adventure spy film Leading Man,and a film about a highly-decorated World War II battalion of Japanese-Americans. Lin himself is already attached to direct a number of projects,including another Terminator movie and the Manga-based Lone Wolf And Cub. Lins last film at Universal was Fast Five,which has made more than $600 million at the international box-office; he has directed three of the films in the Fast And Furious series. The success that weve shared making the last three Fast films has created a strong bond between my team and many at Universal, said Lin. When the opportunity came up to house Barnstorm at the studio where I honed my skills,I saw the change to develop innovative projects with talented writers and directors who need to have their voices heard. Lins team will include president of production Elaine Chin,who previously worked for 20th Century Fox and HBO Films. Brian De Palma to direct The Key Man Brian De Palma will direct The Key Man,a thriller financed by QED International,TheWrap has confirmed. With the De Palma deal closed,QED is starting to make offers to actors. The movie,which Open Road will distribute,is about a man whose body contains answers to national secrets. Because of that,he is targetted by government agents. De Palma is a master at building tension. He directed the 1976 Carrie,the 1980 Dressed To Kill,the 1983 Scarface,the 1987 The Untouchables,the 1993 Carlitos Way and the 1996 Mission: Impossible. He even brought tension to the weird 1984 Body Double,which featured the Frankie Goes to Hollywood song Relax. His more recent work,however,has been less distinctive. His 2006 The Black Dahlia grossed $49.3 million worldwide on a budget estimated at $50 million,and his 2000 Mission To Mars grossed $110.98 million worldwide on a budget estimated at $100 million. Joby Harold wrote Key Man. Bill Block,Paul Hanson,Joby Harold and Tory Tunnell are producing it. Universal puts The Big Lebowski for rent on Facebook The Dude abides . on Facebook. Universal said recently that it will begin offering the Coen brothers stoner classic The Big Lebowski through its Facebook fan page. The move,which follows a similar Facebook experiment by Warner Bros.,coincides with the films high-definition Blu-ray release and the latest Lebowski Fest. Fans and cast members such as John Goodman and Jeff Bridges gathered in New York recently to pay tribute to the movie and its burned out,bowling loving star. The film will be available for 30 Facebook Credits ($3). Renters will have a 48-hour window to enjoy the eminently quotable noir. Though the social network remains a relatively untapped resource for film rentals,Warner Bros. began streaming versions of The Dark Knight through Facebook this spring.
