The same day they found his secret lover, Ben Affleck has pulled out of a star studded upcoming film.
Baz Luhrmann's big screen, big name 3D rendering of "The Great Gatsby" lost a potential star in Affleck on Tuesday, as the actor/director was forced to pull out due to scheduling conflicts. Earlier on Tuesday, it was reported that Isla Fisher was entering into talks to play Myrtle, the woman with whom Tom Buchanan, the shallow socialite Affleck was deep in talks to play, has an affair.
Instead of taking the supporting role in "Gatsby," Affleck will direct "Argo," a thriller about the Iranian hostage crisis and the CIA's extensive efforts to free the American diplomats being held captive. Based on an article from Wired Magazine, it will be Affleck's third directorial effort; he's hot off the success of 2010's "The Town."
Affleck couldn't manage to do both "Gatsby" and "Argo," as Luhrmann has chosen to film the New York-set F. Scott Fitzgerald story in Australia. Making the trip, down under, is a still star-heavy cast. Leonardo DiCaprio is headlining as Jay Gatsby, the mysterious millionaire, starring alongside Tobey Maguire as Nick Carraway, the book's narrator and protagonist. Carey Mulligan will take on Daisy Buchanan, Tom Buchanan's wife.
Luhrmann may have a ready-made star replacement: Bradley Cooper has already publicly expressed interest in the role.
"To me, he's the best character in the book. He's so complicated," Cooper told the New York Times. "He's xenophobic, he's an alcoholic, but he also understands some profound stuff about class. Whoever plays it has to take a gentle hand, because it could so easily be stock, where he's a rich jerk you don't identify with at all."
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