Matt Damon raises the specter of a new film noir adaptation after he and his wife visit Ben Affleck with a new book on the making of Chinatown
Matt Damon and his wife Luciana Barroso put their home quarantine on pause for a visit to his old friend Ben Affleck’s house on Sunday.
The 49-year-old actor still prioritized everyone’s safety by wearing a mask during his social call in Los Angeles’ Pacific Palisades neighborhood.
He also carried a new history of the neo-noir classic Chinatown, suggesting the occasional screenwriters might have an idea for their next big collaboration.
Catching up: Matt Damon, 49, celebrated being back in the US by visiting his friend Ben Affleck on Sunday in Los Angeles’ Pacific Palisades neighborhood
Matt opted for dark colors on the bright Sunday with a black T-shirt and a dark blue checkered button up shirt.
He mixed in a set of dark jeans and comfortable-looking black suede boots, along with a black baseball cap.
The Martian star also carried a book in his hands as he headed back to his car: a copy of The Big Goodbye: Chinatown And The Last Years Of Hollywood.
The acclaimed history by Sam Wasson, which was published in February, details the creation of 1974’s Chinatown, which helped continue Jack Nicholson’s Hollywood upper echelons and was a high-water mark for its director, Roman Polanski, its screenwriter, Robert Towne and its producer, Robert Evans.
Casual: Matt wore a low-key black T-shirt with a dark blue checker shirt, dark jeans and black suede boots
It’s not clear if Ben gave his Good Will Hunting co-writer the book to study, or if Matt brought it himself, but he has previously brought along screenplays when visiting his friend.
The history was acclaimed for its details about Chinatown’s creation, including new revelations about the existence of a secret co-writer.
It also includes an exploration of how Polanski rewrote the screenplay’s positive ending in favor of a darker conclusion inspired by his history surviving the Holocaust as a child and living through the murder of his wife Sharon Tate by Charles Manson’s followers.
New adaptation? He carried a copy of Sam Wasson’s The Big Goodbye, a history of the making of Roman Polanski’s neo-noir masterpiece Chinatown (1974), starring Jack Nicholson
Book buddies: It’s not clear if he and Ben are considering adaption the behind-the-scenes story, though the two regularly share reading material on their catch-up visits
Most recently, Matt and Ben co-wrote the upcoming Ridley Scott film The Last Duel, about the last sanctioned duel in France, in which a night battled his friend after accusing him of raping his wife.
The actors originally intended to play the two knights, but the Argo star switched to a smaller supporting role, while Adam Driver replaced him.
They co-wrote the script with director Nicole Holofcener, and this film is being directed by Ridley Scott, though the shoot was delayed indefinitely due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Despite winning Oscars together for Good Will Hunting, The Last Duel is only the second writing collaboration between the two, though Matt co-wrote the 2002 Gus Van Sant film Gerry with his costar, Ben’s brother Casey Affleck.
Second try: Ben and Matt won Oscars for their screenplay to Good Will Hunting, but they didn’t collaborate again until writing The Last Duel, which was put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic; pictured in 1998
Stuck abroad: The Contagion star revealed last month that he was stuck quarantining in Ireland after being forced to stay in the country due to travel restrictions; still from Contagion
The Contagion star revealed last month that he was stuck quarantining in Ireland after being forced to stay in the country due to travel restrictions.
His family was in the country while shooting The Last Duel just as coronavirus lockdowns happened across the globe.
He finally jetted back to the US Thursday.