Ben Affleck just closed a deal to star and direct in a new big-screen adaptation of “Witness for the Prosecution” for Fox, TheWrap has learned.
“Witness for the Prosecution” is an adaptation of the Agatha Christie short story and play that Billy Wilder directed back in 1957 which starred Tyrone Power, Marlene Dietrich and Charles Laughton.
The film received six Oscar nominations at the time, including Best Picture, Best Actor and Actress and Best Director.
Affleck will produce with Jennifer Todd, Matt Damon and the Agatha Christie estate. Christopher Keyser will write the screenplay.
Charles Laughton played Sir Wilfrid Robarts a lawyer in bad health who represents Leonard Vole (Power) accused of murdering a a rich, older widow who had become enamoured with him, going so far as to make him the main beneficiary of her will. The suspect’s German wife Christine (Dietrich), while initially unable to testify against her husband, is called as a witness for the prosecution because she was married to a German man when she wed the defendant. She testifies that Leonard admitted to her that he had killed the widow, and that her conscience forced her to finally tell the truth.
The last movie Affleck directed was the Best Picture winner “Argo”, and he just wrapped “Live By Night” for Warner Bros, his adaptation of the Dennis Lehane novel.
He’s currently co-writing and looking to direct the next stand-alone “Batman” film. Affleck is also an executive producer on “Justice League.” He next stars in the Gavin O’Connor-directed “The Accountant”, which Warner Bros opens on October 14.
Affleck is repped by WME.