Ben Affleck in early talks to enact lead character in David Fincher‘s Gone Girl

Gone Girl, the Fox project and David Fincher’s next may see Ben Affleck as its main protagonist, it seems. Affleck is in early negotiations for the deal to be finalised anytime.

Based on Gillian Flynn’s bestseller,Affleck will be playing a husband whose wife vanishes on the day of their fifth anniversary. Suspicions are aroused against him as the only possible killer. Last July a 7 figure deal was struck by Fox to film this novel with Pacific Standard’s Reese Witherspoon, Bruna Papandrea along with Leslie Dixonas producers. The draft screenplay was first written by the author himself and is now been rewritten by him in cooperation with Fincher. No female lead has been decided yet for the film.

Recently a new financing partner has got on the board of Fox,New Regency. If the deal with Affleck is final, it would mean that his directorial project, the adaptation of the Dennis Lehane novel Live By Night, with Warner Bros. will be postponed. As scheduled, shooting forGone Girlwill begin this fall only, which means Affleck will be able to wrap upLive By Nightby the end of 2014, which he is also producing. Gone Girl is being developed by Fox and Fincher since January. Fincher’s Gone Girl will precede his next, Disney’s 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea: Captain Nemo. Affleck will be seen next in Runner Runner along with Justin Timberlake, Anthony Mackie and Gemma Arterton and it will open on September 27.