LOS ANGELES, Oct 18 — Ben Affleck (Good Will Hunting, Armageddon, Pearl Harbour, Argo) will star in the adaptation of Kate Southwood’s novel Falling to Earth published in 2013 by Europa Editions, according to Variety magazine.

Bron Studios, whose most recent film, Todd Phillips’ Joker, is a box-office hit, has begun work on their next project. The company has chosen Hillary Seitz to write the screenplay for Kate Southwood’s novel Falling to Earth.

The story begins on March 18, 1925, when the little town of Marah is hit by the worst tornado in American history. Victims number in the hundreds and all of the buildings have been destroyed. Paul Graves and his family, however, have been spared. At the end of the day, they find they still have everything they had before the catastrophe — their home, their work, their children.

The story follows the Graves family while the town of Marah begins to rebuild. Their neighbours begin to question how they were the only ones to escape the tragedy. Resentment, then hostility begin to build, to dramatic consequences.

Ben Affleck had been considered to direct Falling to Earth, however for the moment he is attached to the project only as an actor. He is set to play Paul Graves.

No release date has yet been announced. — AFP-Relaxnews