logo
Ben Affleck Knew His Batman Movies 'Started to Skew Too Old' When His Son 'Was Too Scared to Watch' Them

Ben Affleck Knew His Batman Movies 'Started to Skew Too Old' When His Son 'Was Too Scared to Watch' Them

Yahoo25-03-2025

While Ben Affleck said he initially took on the role of Batman to bond with his son Samuel, he's now revealing that it didn't pan out how he thought it would.
In a new interview with GQ, Affleck shared that while he loved doing the Batman movies, he learned that his iteration of the franchise might have been targeting a demographic that didn't exist.
"I loved doing the Batman movie," he began. "In terms of creatively, I really think that I like the idea and the ambition I had for it, which was of the sort of older, broken, damaged Bruce Wayne. And it was something we really went for in the first movie."
"But what happened was it started to skew too old for a big part of the audience," the dad of three said. "Like even my own son at the time was too scared to watch the movie. And so when I saw that, I was like, 'Oh s---, we have a problem.'"
Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Related: Ben Affleck Says He Took Batman Role for 'My Kids': 'I Wanted to Do Something My Son Would Dig'
Affleck shares Samuel, 13, and his two kids Violet, 19, and Seraphina, 16, with ex Jennifer Garner.
In 2021, the star said on The Hollywood Reporter's Awards Chatter podcast that taking on the role of Batman, starting with 2016's Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, was to score brownie points among his kids.
"I did Batman because I wanted to do it for my kids. I wanted to do something that my son would dig. I mean, my kids didn't see Argo," he said, referring to his 2012 drama, which won Best Picture at the Oscars. "I wore the suit to my son's birthday party, which was worth every moment of suffering on Justice League."
In February, Affleck was photographed alongside his son Samuel as the two enjoyed a night out together at the Los Angeles Lakers vs Minnesota Timberwolves basketball game. Affleck could be seen wearing a gray coat and dark jeans for their father-son evening out.
Next to Affleck, his son Samuel wore a black Lakers sweatshirt and gray sweatpants, mimicking his dad's smolder as the father-son duo posed for the camera.
Earlier that same month, Affleck and his son got in some quality time as they again sat courtside at the Crypto.com Arena while watching the Los Angeles Lakers take on the Golden State Warriors.
The father-son duo cheered on the Lakers as Samuel sported a jersey featuring LeBron James' number 23. The Oscar winner went more neutral with his look, in a tan turtleneck and matching blazer and pants.
Ben and Samuel were captured with matching expressions during one particularly exciting shot, with Samuel holding up three fingers and screaming as his excited dad watched the shot go in.
Read the original article on People

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

‘Ran' turns 40: How a clerical error and bad blood cost Akira Kurosawa an Oscar
‘Ran' turns 40: How a clerical error and bad blood cost Akira Kurosawa an Oscar

Yahoo

time2 hours ago

  • Yahoo

‘Ran' turns 40: How a clerical error and bad blood cost Akira Kurosawa an Oscar

Forty years ago, a clerical error and bad blood cost Akira Kurosawa an Oscar. The legendary Japanese filmmaker's Ran proved the final samurai masterpiece of his distinguished career. His third Shakespeare adaptation, the film is epic in every sense of the word — massive in scale, shot in glorious color, with vicious betrayal and intense action and emotion. At the time of its release in 1985, Kurosawa was certainly well-regarded by the Motion Picture Academy, receiving an Honorary Award for Outstanding Foreign-Language Film for Rashomon, followed by Best Foreign-Language Film in 1976 for Dersu Uzala. The 58th Academy Awards found Ran competing for four awards, including Kurosawa's only Best Director nod — despite not being submitted for Best Foreign-Language Film, a snub that was the product of a messy history. More from GoldDerby 2025 Tony Awards: Complete list of winners (updating live) 'What's next?': Allison Janney on playing a 'badass' on 'The Diplomat,' 'West Wing' 25 years later 'Sinners' bonus feature, 'Good Night' live, Sabrina's song of the summer, 'Fantastic Four' theme, and what to stream this weekend Kurosawa was remarkably influential in the West. Sergio Leone's A Fistful of Dollars was essentially a remake of Yojimbo, and films as diverse as George Lucas' Star Wars (Hidden Fortress), Ingmar Bergman's The Virgin Spring (Rashomon), and John Sturges' The Magnificent Seven and A Bug's Life (Seven Samurai) borrowed liberally from his works. If Kurosawa was accessible to Western audiences, it was perhaps in part because he was inspired by Western literature and film. William Shakespeare provided continued inspiration for Kurosawa, adapting Macbeth (Throne of Blood), Hamlet (The Bad Sleep Well), and King Lear (Ran), who as did great early Western filmmakers, including John Ford. International fame aside, Kurosawa's relationship with the Japanese film industry was significantly strained in the late-'60s through early '70s. He was hired to direct the Japanese section of the 1970's Toei-Fox. coproduction Tora! Tora! Tora!, but had difficulty dealing with Fox's communication, editors, and oversight, and spent considerable time in the thick of a mental crisis. He was prescribed two months of rest, so producer Darryl F. Zanuck's son, Richard, flew to Japan to personally fire Kurosawa. Japanese funding for his projects became scarce, and he relied on external financing support from friends for financing Dodes'ka-den. Between health problems and career turmoil, at a particularly low point, Kurosawa attempted to take his own life late in 1971, though he survived and recovered. The career that followed cemented his trajectory of international acclaim with minimal support from the Japanese film industry. In 1972, the Soviet studio Mosfilm approached the director for what became 1975's Academy Award-winning Dersu Uzala, but despite bringing numerous awards home to Japan, he again had difficulties funding his next epic, Kagemusha. Kurosawa met George Lucas and Frances Ford Coppola in 1978 while preparing for the project, and the pair were wowed by Kurosawa's vision. Coming off the success of Star Wars, Lucas convinced 20th Century Fox head Alan Ladd Jr. to provide a reported $6 million in 1979 to complete the film's funding. The film was a success, and Kurosawa ultimately referred to Kagemusha as a 'dress rehearsal' for his biggest project yet: Ran. Used to funding sources outside Japan, for Ran, Kurosawa secured the involvement of French producer Serge Silberman (The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie), alongside Japan's Nippon Herald Ace, to make the film, which opened in U.S. theaters on June 1, 1985. The Academy's rules for Best Foreign Film allowed one submission film per country to be considered for nomination, with each country having a unique nomination process. Speaking with The New York Times, Silberman admitted he had attempted to submit Ran as an 'independent' collaboration between France and Japan, an unintentional violation of Academy rules. Silberman next considered entering Ran as a French entry, but French rules stipulated submissions to be in the French language. That would require extensive dubbing, because the film starred Japanese actors and was shot and filmed in Japan. Silberman thought a French dub simply wouldn't have worked, so French submission was off the table. The final option would be submission to Japan's Motion Picture Producers Association (now MPPAJ), and this is where it gets even messier. According to the Times, a representative of the Japanese producers association said Ran wasn't submitted for consideration, and that the nominating committee was told the film would be submitted through France. Silberman claimed that the group refused to give more time to the decision after plans for an independent entry were nixed by the Academy. Then again, it's entirely plausible that major players in Japan's film industry weren't displeased with an opportunity to disrupt the film's Oscar chances. According to a report in the Los Angeles Times, Kurosawa refused to attend Ran's opening-night presentation at the Tokyo International Film Festival. Kurosawa had a rocky history of disagreements with Japan's film industry and had long relied on external funding for production, a recipe for strategic blunder. That snubbed festival was headed by Shigeru Okada, also the head of Toei and a member of Japan's Oscar-selection committee. It may not be a coincidence that Japan submitted Hana Ichi Monme (conveniently a Toei production) in Ran's stead. With its path to the foreign-language film category stymied, Silberman submitted Ran to the Academy for consideration in other feature-length categories, and the rest is Academy Award history. It all makes for a long, twisty story about how Kurosawa's final samurai masterpiece landed him a Best Director nomination in a year where, for a number of odd reasons, it wasn't even up for Best Foreign Film. He received one final honor from the Academy at the 62nd Academy Awards, an Honorary Award celebrating his life in film, appropriately presented by Lucas and Steven Spielberg. Best of GoldDerby Stephen King movies: 14 greatest films ranked worst to best 'The Life of Chuck' cast reveal their favorite Stephen King works, including Mark Hamill's love of the 'terrifying' 'Pet Sematary' From 'Hot Rod' to 'Eastbound' to 'Gemstones,' Danny McBride breaks down his most righteous roles: 'It's been an absolute blast' Click here to read the full article.

Jared Leto Accused of Sexual Misconduct by Multiple Women, Including Minors
Jared Leto Accused of Sexual Misconduct by Multiple Women, Including Minors

Hypebeast

time3 hours ago

  • Hypebeast

Jared Leto Accused of Sexual Misconduct by Multiple Women, Including Minors

Summary Oscar-winning actor and musician Jared Leto is facing serious accusations of sexual misconduct from at least nine women, according to a detailed report published byAir Mailon Saturday, June 7, 2025. The allegations describe a pattern of inappropriate behavior spanning over a decade, with some women claiming the incidents occurred when they were underage. The report includes interviews with nine women who describe troubling interactions with the 53-year-old actor. 'It's been an open secret for a long time,' an anonymous woman told the outlet. Among the disturbing allegations are claims that Leto asked sexual questions to a 16-year-old girl, walked out of a room nude in front of a 17-year-old, and exposed himself and masturbated before putting an 18-year-old's hand 'on him.' One woman, a model who was 16 in 2008, recounted meeting Leto at an animal rights event before visiting his studio, where she claims he flirted with her and appeared nude. Another woman stated she was also 16 when Leto approached her at a Los Angeles cafe, and later called her at night with sexually suggestive conversations. These allegations gained renewed attention last month when DJ Allie Teilz reposted a Facebook status from 2012 on her Instagram Stories, accusing Leto of inappropriate behavior when she was 17. She described his actions as 'predatory, terrifying, and unacceptable.' Following her post, Teilz shared over 50 responses from individuals who reported similar experiences, some of whom were reportedly as young as 14 to 16 years old at the time. A representative for Jared Leto has vehemently denied all allegations, asserting that the claims are 'demonstrably false' and that there was 'never any recruiting, complaints, or impropriety.' They have stated that Leto has abstained from drugs and alcohol for over 35 years. As of now, no criminal charges have been filed against Leto, and he has not publicly addressed the allegations himself.

LeBron James Turns Heads with Exciting Luka Doncic News on Sunday
LeBron James Turns Heads with Exciting Luka Doncic News on Sunday

Yahoo

time6 hours ago

  • Yahoo

LeBron James Turns Heads with Exciting Luka Doncic News on Sunday

LeBron James Turns Heads with Exciting Luka Doncic News on Sunday originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Los Angeles Lakers attempted to pull the strings to be able to compete for an NBA title last season, pairing LeBron James and Luka Doncic. Advertisement While James has been competing with the Lakers for the past several seasons, Los Angeles acquired Doncic ahead of the deadline, dealing Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks. After a season that ended in the first round of the postseason, James and Doncic caught fans' attention for their meet-up. Doncic joined James on the "Mind the Game" podcast, which the Lakers forward hosts with NBA legend Steve Nash. While Part 1 of the podcast was released several days ago, James announced on Sunday that Part 2 has officially been released. "Blessing y'all on the weekend, Luka part 2 out now," posted the official social media account of the "Mind the Game" podcast. Upon the release of the announcement, sharing the news on LeBron James and Luka Doncic's latest collaboration, some fans took to social media to share their thoughts. Advertisement 'Ight Bron you not fooling us anymore. This you ain't it gang," said one fan. 'So good Thank you guys," said another fan. 'Is part 2 the last one?" mentioned one fan. "We here," commented one fan. 'Preciate you goat," said one fan. 'Is it filmed at an all you can eat buffet? Now that I would watch," said another fan. Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James.© Kirby Lee-Imagn Images During LeBron James' 22nd season in the NBA, he averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game. Luka Doncic, who played the second half of the NBA season with the Los Angeles Lakers, posted 28.2 points, 8.2 rebounds and 7.7 assists per game in 50 contests for the Mavericks and Lakers. Advertisement The Lakers lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the postseason, forcing them back to the white board ahead of James' 23rd season in the league. Related: LeBron James Had No Words for Luka Doncic Announcement on Saturday Related: Duke Blue Devils Suffer Major Coaching Loss on Saturday This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 8, 2025, where it first appeared.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store