Page 30 - ARUBA TODAY

A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Wednesday 1 February
Ben Affleck is not directing

Batman, but will produce, star

Wayne in “Suicide Squad,” aged to be decently profit-
In this Oct. 10, 2016, file pho-
to, Ben Affleck arrives at the starred in “The Accoun- able.
world premiere of “The Ac- tant,” and wrote, directed Affleck will appear next
countant” at the TCL Chinese and starred in the period as Batman in “Justice
Theatre in Los Angeles. drama “Live by Night.” League,” which comes out
Associated Press Speaking to The Associat- on Nov. 17.
ed Press in December , Af- The Batman standalone
fleck said he was taking his doesn’t yet have an official
LINDSEY BAHR time with the script for Bat- title or release date, but it
AP Film Writer man, which he called an was tentatively pegged for
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ben “exhilarating” challenge, 2018.
Affleck is no longer direct- “like jumping out of an air- “I am still in this, and we
ing the Batman standalone plane.” are making it,” Affleck’s
movie for Warner Bros. Warner Bros. has had a statement continued. “I
In a statement Monday, rocky start kicking off its remain extremely com-
Affleck said it “has be- expanded universe of DC mitted to this project, and
come clear that I cannot Comics films. Both “Batman look forward to bringing this
do both jobs to the level v Superman” and “Suicide to life for fans around the
they require” and that he Squad” were savaged by world.”q
and the studio are looking critics, but they still man-
for a new director. Israel’s Arabs divided by film’s
“There are certain char-
acters who hold a special portrayal of changing world
place in the hearts of mil-
lions,” Affleck said in the AREEJ HAZBOUN loun Hamoud, 35, and was
statement. “Performing this Associated Press inspired by her own expe-
role demands focus, pas- UMM AL-FAHM, Israel (AP) riences living in Tel Aviv for
sion and the very best per- — In Israel’s Arab commu- the last decade.
formance I can give.” nity, life is imitating art. “It is the time now for wom-
Affleck made his debut as A new award-winning film en to come and speak
the superhero for the stu- about Arab women bat- up,” said Hamoud, who
dio last summer in “Batman tling their conservative so- sports the title of her movie
v Superman: Dawn of Jus- ciety has touched off a tattooed on her forearm in
tice,” and he had been at- real-life battle: The munici- Arabic and English. “Until
tached to write and direct pality of a major Arab city now, we were listening to
the Batman standalone in Israel has called for a men, and they were the
movie for about a year. boycott of the film, and the ones to run everything.”
He attended Comic-Con film’s director says she has “In Between” is the film’s
this summer with his fellow received death threats for English title. In Arabic, it is
DC Universe directors, like her unflinching portrayal of called “Land Sea,” an ex-
“Wonder Woman’s” Patty sex, drugs, parties, homo- pression meaning “Neither
Jenkins, “Justice League’s” sexuality and rape in her Here Nor There,” the film’s
Zack Snyder, and Rick community. The film has name in Hebrew.
Famuyiwa, who this past also caught many Jewish The film tells the story of
fall also stepped away Israeli audiences by sur- three Arab women who
from directing “The Flash.” prise, exposing them to a leave home to work and
The studio in a statement vibrant world of fiercely study in the live-and-let-
said that it “fully supports” independent young Arab live Israeli city of Tel Aviv.
his decision and “remains women — what the film’s They find themselves stuck
committed to working with director calls the “Palestin- between an Arab society
him to bring a standalone ian underground.” that often rejects nontradi-
Batman picture to life.” “In Between,” which has tional roles for women, and
Warner Bros. and Affleck won accolades at Span- an Israeli society that while
have had a longstand- ish, Canadian and Israeli more open and Western-
ing relationship. This past film festivals, was written ized, often doesn’t treat Ar-
fall alone, Affleck made a and directed by Maysa- abs as full equals.q
cameo as Batman/Bruce