The Shocking Reason Steven Spielberg Refused to Work with Ben Affleck

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Mike Binder, a writer and director, recently revealed an unexpected reason why Steven Spielberg chose not to collaborate with Ben Affleck.

Director Binder shared the story behind his 2005 film, Man About Town, on the One Bad Movie podcast, explaining that it was initially developed at DreamWorks.

Binder was set on Ben Affleck to star in the movie and believed it was a perfect fit. He even shared a rough cut of Upside of Anger with Affleck, hoping to win him over. Affleck was enthusiastic and they quickly agreed to collaborate with a handshake. Binder considered the deal done, but then he had a conversation with Steven Spielberg that changed everything.

Binder says Spielberg quickly dismissed Affleck for the part. Initially, it appeared to be a standard studio worry – Affleck had recently starred in some films that didn’t perform well at the box office and was receiving a lot of media attention due to his relationship with Jennifer Lopez. DreamWorks, wanting to maintain a high-quality image, likely felt it was a risky time to cast him.

But Spielberg’s true motivation was actually quite personal. According to Binder, the director shared a story about a time when Affleck was dating Gwyneth Paltrow in the 1990s. While on vacation in Spain, Spielberg’s young son accidentally pushed Affleck into a pool with all his clothes on. Affleck, annoyed, playfully threw the boy back in, which upset him and made him cry.

Binder remembered wondering why this was relevant to casting a film in 2005. Spielberg’s response was straightforward: he simply didn’t want to work with Ben Affleck. He instructed Binder to find another actor, stating that anyone but Affleck would be acceptable.

Binder contacted Affleck’s agent to clarify what happened, and then Affleck called Binder himself. According to reports, Affleck quickly figured out the issue and asked, “Did Steven Spielberg tell you I pushed his son into the water? That’s why I’m not involved in the film.”

Binder once more tried to persuade Spielberg, and to everyone’s surprise, Spielberg agreed to let Affleck join the cast. This briefly gave the project new hope, but the next day, Binder discovered DreamWorks had cancelled the movie altogether.

Though originally planned with Steven Spielberg’s involvement, Man About Town ultimately became an independent film starring Ben Affleck, with Spielberg no longer participating. Despite this, the two haven’t worked together on a project in the almost twenty years since.

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2025-12-11 20:14