Ben Affleck to Replace Ryan Gosling in 'Focus'

A recent report from The Playlist claims the upcoming film Focus has dropped the starring duo of Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, and picked up the actor/director Ben Affleck – if the right female lead can be found.

The film would have marked the third film featuring Gosling and Stone, following in the footsteps of last year’s Crazy, Stupid, Love., and the upcoming crime drama Gangster Squad. However, the film will reunite Love’s writer/director John Requa with Glenn Ficarra, a team which brought audiences the likes of Bad Santa and Crazy, Stupid, Love.

Focus will feature Affleck (potentially) as a lifelong conman who becomes romantically involved with an apprentice, resulting in relationship problems. They meet again after a period of time, resulting in a hilarious playing out of long term effects.

Ben Affleck’s experience in romantic comedies knows no limits. He built his career off the likes of movies such as Chasing Amy, Armageddon, and Jersey Girl, after all. It’ll be somewhat interesting to see what sort of performance he’ll be able to produce after being behind the camera and making action flicks for so long. Will it be another Gigli, or another Pearl Harbor (assuming there is a difference in quality between the two)? The answer that question more than likely involves who will be chosen to star alongside Affleck.

Seeing as Focus is still in its pre-production phase, there is sure to be more information regarding Focus as more casting choices are made. Be sure to check back for more information.

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