Anthony Mackie has quite an impressive lineup of movies coming out in the next years — most notably Gangster Squad — but that isn’t stopping him from adding another to that list. Deadline has just informed us that the actor is in talks to join Ben Affleck and Justin Timberlake for Runner Runner, soon after yesterday’s news that Project X star Oliver Cooper hopped on board.
Lincoln Lawyer helmer Brad Furman has signed on to direct, with Brian Koppelman and David Levien (Ocean’s Thirteen) providing the screenplay. The film “revolves around the world of offshore online gaming and an increasingly tense relationship between a business founder and his protege.”
I haven’t been too impressed with Furman‘s directing work over the past few years, so I’m hoping that the writing team can give us something to work with. They’re hitting some familiar territory withe script, seeing as their 1998 film, Rounders, also dealt with gambling and was received well upon its release. As for in front of the lens, Affleck and Timberlake should make for a good onscreen team, as they play on the “tense” relationship, described in the synopsis. Mackie has also given us a few reasons to watch his craft recently, so this project is quickly becoming something to look out for.
Would you like to see Mackie join Affleck and Timberlake?