Ben Affleck is sitting back in the director’s chair again for a historical drama about the late 1800s invasion of the Congo by Belgium tyrant King Leopold II entitled King Leopold’s Ghost, according to Deadline. Financed by One Community, Farhad Safinia of Apocalypto will be writing the film’s script with Affleck acting as the film’s producer through his Pearl Street Films banner alongside Emma Koskoff-Tillinger and Martin Scoreses under Sikelia Productions. Harry and Gina Belafonte will also be joining Affleck in this role alongside Madison Ainley, who will serve as an executive producer.
Safinia’s script is based on Adam Hochschild’s novel King Leopold’s Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism In Colonial Africa. Much like its paperback source, the film will analyze in great detail the atrocities that occurred in Africa during Leopold II’s reign as Europe was scrambling to uncover all of continent’s natural resources. This global race for prosperity made Leopold’s a very wealthy man, as he stashed billions from the profits made with rubber and ivory sales within hidden bank accounts after obtaining private ownership of the Congo state.
This will be Affleck’s first film since his adaption of Dennis Lehane’s novel Live By Night. The film was released in 2016 and saw mixed to negative reviews.
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