Ben Affleck in Talks to Adapt Dennis Lehane’s ‘Live by Night’

Just as he prepares to open Argo, Ben Affleck has zeroed in on his next directorial project.

Affleck is in talks to write, direct and star in an adaptation of Dennis Lehane’s Prohibition Era novel Live by Night, THR has confirmed.

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The book was published by William Morrow last week, though the studio picked up the rights in spring, when it still was in galley form.

Night is another Boston-set story, centering on Joe Coughlin, who rebels against his cop father and becomes a career criminal, eventually joining a mobster. He rises up the ranks as the action moves to Tampa, Fla., then Cuba and features rumrunners, femme fatales, betrayals and good men committing plenty of sin.

Affleck and his Pearl Street banner will join Leonardo DiCaprio’s Appian Way to produce. The road to the partnership was paved by Affleck starring in Runner Runner, the upcoming gambling drama on which Appian Way is a producer.

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It’s unclear whether this will be Affleck’s next movie. He is attached to direct Warner Bros.’ adaptation of The Stand as well as an English-language remake of the French thriller Tell No One.

Warners is very keen on keeping Affleck in the studio fold and has been offering the multihyphenate everything in its drawers.