Last month, Ben Affleck was cast as Batman in the forthcoming Man of Steel sequel. But that doesn’t mean that Affleck’s career behind-the-camera is taking a backseat.
Deadline is reporting that Affleck has signed a deal with Fox to executive produce a crime drama called “The Middle Man” and he will also direct the pilot episode. Created by Glenn Gordon Caron, “The Middle Man” is described as “a classic Boston crime story” that takes place in the ‘60s and follows FBI agent Rudy MacAteer as he attempts to take down the Italian mafia while inadvertently helping his criminal informant, Mickey Flood rise through the ranks of the Irish mob.
Caron wrote the pilot episode and he will also serve as an executive producer on “The Middle Man” alongside Affleck and Chay Carter. This project will also serve as Affleck’s TV directorial debut after his making his mark as a director in The Town, Gone Baby Gone and Argo; the currently reigning winner of the Oscar for Best Picture.
According to the report, “The Middle Man” began to come together during the filming of The Town, as he and Carter were introduced to writers Michael Yebba and Emilio Mauro. Years later, Caron was brought in to write the script based on the story by Yeeba and Mauro, who will be co-executive producers on “The Middle Man” pilot.
Casting for “The Middle Man” pilot will begin immediately and it will begin production early next year as it goes out for a slot on Fox’s 2014 TV schedule.
