“If Scorsese can make a three-and-a-half-hour movie, I want to.” Ben Affleck’s brilliant 15-year-old heist movie was almost an erotic thriller

by

Many movie enthusiasts may recall the 15-year-old film titled “The Town“, directed, co-written, and starring Ben Affleck. Fresh off the success of “Gone Baby Gone“, he took on another project when a different filmmaker had to abandon this intriguing cinematic concept. What made “The Town” particularly appealing was that it was an adaptation of Chuck Hogan’s book, “Prince of Thieves“, which seemed ripe for a movie adaptation.

Initially, it was Adrian Lyne, renowned for his erotic films like ‘Fatal Attraction’, ‘Indecent Proposal’, and ‘Lolita’, who had been working on the project before Ben Affleck stepped in as director. Interestingly, Lyne aimed to shape ‘The Town’ into an erotic thriller, portraying a criminal falling for his captive – a fact revealed by Affleck during an interview with The Ringer on the 10th anniversary of ‘The Tower’.

Adrian Lyne’s adaptation took a unique approach and primarily emphasized the romantic aspect. It could be categorized as an intense, passionate love story intertwined with elements of suspense and sensuality, involving a villain who develops affection for his captive.

In this scenario, Lynne held strong faith in the movie project and confidence in his abilities. He harbored grand aspirations as well. The film was planned for a 90-day shoot, and Lynne sought a budget of $90 million, an amount Warner Bros. found hard to approve. Unable to secure another studio for his venture, despite his best efforts, Lynne couldn’t find a taker for his project, eventually abandoning it. This is according to Chuck Hogan and Peter Craig, co-writer of “The Town”.

Speaking as a fervent fan, Adrian was immersed in an ambitious double-album project during his career’s peak. He was adamant about preserving every piece, expressing, “This is flawless. This is my vision.” I hesitated, realizing it would amount to a three-and-a-half-hour production. Adrian responded, “If Scorsese can create a three-and-a-half-hour film, then I want to as well.

However, Warners returned the project to Adrian with the suggestion, “Why don’t you try shopping it elsewhere?” Adrian then presented it to Imagine and Universal. Both were close to purchasing it but desired to make cuts. In the end, everyone seemed keen on making cuts, leading to its eventual demise. With that, Adrian was no longer involved in the project.

Thus concluded Adrian Lyne’s journey with the adaption of Prince of Thieves. Later on, Ben Affleck took over, who, similar to Lyne, prioritized the romantic subplot between the criminal and the captive. However, unlike Lyne’s version, it wasn’t a single trope that dominated the film. Instead, one of the most iconic heist scenes became its defining feature.

Read More

2025-02-28 16:02