Category: Matt Damon

A bearded Matt Damon supported Ben Affleck at The Accountant 2 premiere

Post author By celebrityabout
Post date March 10, 2025

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The sequel to Ben Affleck’s The Accountant is coming out in theaters on April 25. It costars Jon Bernthal as Ben’s character’s brother. On Saturday, The Accountant 2 premiered at SXSW Film & TV Festival. Ben was joined on the red carpet by his longtime bestie and acting/producing partner, Matt Damon.

Last November, Ben and Matt shared that they were growing out their beards together because they were in the process of filming their upcoming Netflix thriller, RIP, in which they’re playing bearded Miami cops. It looks like Ben’s kept a more trimmed down version of the beard. Matt, on the other hand, is not making any effort to tame that thang. He’s currently filming Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, starring as Odysseus himself. It definitely made for a noteworthy red carpet look.

Ben Affleck is back in action for The Accountant 2. On Saturday, March 8, the actor, 52, stepped out for the world premiere of his new film, which also stars Jon Bernthal and more, at the 2025 SXSW Film & TV Festival in Austin, Texas.

Matt Damon, who co-produced the film via his production company with longtime pal Affleck Artists Equity, showed up to support the project. Damon, 53, posed for photos with Affleck while still wearing his full beard for filming Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey movie.

Affleck spoke to reporters including PEOPLE at the red carpet, sharing why he and Damon make a good team.

“It’s a beautiful thing. You know, I don’t have very many— none of us really have very many friends. You don’t need a million friends. You need a few good ones. And I’m really lucky to have had a friend in Matt,” said Affleck. “… I’m lucky to have friends like that in my life.”

The Accountant 2 centers around Affleck’s character Christian Wolff as he tries to solve a case after “an old acquaintance is murdered, leaving behind a cryptic message to ‘find the accountant,’ ” according to a synopsis.

“Realizing more extreme measures are necessary, Wolff recruits his estranged and highly lethal brother Brax to help. In partnership with U.S. Treasury Deputy Director Marybeth Medina (Cynthia Addai-Robinson), they uncover a deadly conspiracy, becoming targets of a ruthless network of killers who will stop at nothing to keep their secrets buried.”

Director Gavin O’Connor told PEOPLE at the SXSW premiere that Affleck “understands the character so well” and has done “so much research” for The Accountant 2.

“It’s a temptation for actors when they play, say, genius to chew it up and over-act. He never does that. It’s always simple, it’s always honest, it’s always truthful. It’s just beautiful acting.”

While the first installment of the film series, 2016’s The Accountant, also starred Anna Kendrick, Jeffrey Tambor, Jean Smart and John Lithgow, the actors are not back for this sequel. J.K. Simmons does return as Ray King, director of the U.S. Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Bureau.”

[From People]

Sooo, thoughts on Matt’s unruly Odysseus beard? Matt has never been my type, but I’ve always thought he was a reasonably attractive man. This beard has succeeded in making him look like a mad professor who finally took a shower. As for Ben’s fashion, I like the look, but are popped collars a thing again now? Can we maybe not? While also on the red carpet, Ben said that the hardest stunt to learn to do for the movie was learning how to line dance. As someone who has two left feet, I feel that. I’d have an easier time learning basically anything other than something that required rhythm, lol.

As for the rest of the red carpet press, I thought this was a really sweet thing to say: “I don’t have very many [friends]… You don’t need a million friends. You need a few good ones. And I’m really lucky to have had a friend in Matt.” In videos from the red carpet, Ben looks genuinely excited to see him. I always like seeing actual, real Hollywood friendships. In a biz where a lot of things are presented to us to maintain appearances, it’s always nice to see something genuine shine through.

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Tags ben affleck, matt-damon

Ben Affleck Matt Damon Movies Netflix

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are releasing an action thriller on Netflix this year

Post author By celebrityabout
Post date February 3, 2025

Here’s a bit of potentially fun news for my fellow action-thriller movie fans. Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s production company, Artists Equity, is releasing an action-thriller movie on Netflix this year. The movie, RIP, is about a group of Miami police officers that discover “millions in cash inside a derelict stash house” and, presumably, all of the chaos and betrayal that ensues afterward. When introducing the trailer for it at the 2025 Next on Netflix Special Presentation event last week, Affleck described it as “Heat meets Narc meets Training Day.” It stars Damon, Affleck, Teyana Taylor, Steven Yeun, ~~Coach Taylor~~ Kyle Chandler, and Nestor Carbonell.

Ben Affleck stepped out to tease his action-packed thriller RIP that reunites him with Matt Damon. The actor, 52, spoke onstage at the 2025 Next on Netflix Special Presentation held in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Jan. 29, introducing to attendees the first trailer for the crime thriller, directed by Joe Carnahan.

RIP, inspired by true events, also stars Teyana Taylor, Steven Yeun, Sasha Calle, Catalina Sandino, Néstor Carbonell and Kyle Chandler.

“This movie takes a look at the things people will do for money,” said Affleck at the event, adding that RIP is going for a mix of Heat meets Narc meets Training Day.

Affleck, who produced via his and Damon’s company Artists Equity, called the movie a “really fun, engaging ride that keeps you guessing. It’s a compelling, complicated human drama that also hues to these elements of cinema that people have loved forever.”

“It’s the seventh movie that Matt Damon and my company, Artists Equity, has made, and it really is in a lot of ways the most important for us because we’ve found some really exciting partners who are really interested in not just what has been but what could be at Netflix,” he continued. “… This is exactly the kind of film that we want to champion.”

Longtime friends Affleck and Damon, 54, who grew up together in Boston, won an Oscar for writing the 1997 movie Good Will Hunting, in which they also starred, before launching major Hollywood careers on their own. Speaking to Deadline in November, they explained what inspired them to start their own production company together.

Damon said at the time, “I was like, what are we doing, man? Both of us, this is what we love to do more than anything. The only thing better is doing it together, in any capacity, whether he’s directing or whether we’re acting together or whether we’re producing together, or whether we’re just facilitating for other filmmakers.”

“How much life do we have left and what are we going to do with it?” he added.

[From People]

I looked at RIP’s Netflix page (where I got the description from) and there’s no official release date listed as of right now. Honestly, I am a sucker for all of these types of movies, good and bad. I even saw Vin Diesel’s terrible movie, Bloodshot, in theaters just as everything was shutting down for the pandemic (there’s a story behind how we ended up there but we still actively choose to watch it, lol). I also watched Carry-On twice within its first week on Netflix. So yeah, I am probably the target audience for RIP. I also look forward to hearing more about the true story behind this movie because I actually really like learning more about that stuff, too. All of that said, I did draw the line at the Mel Gibson/Mark Wahlberg movie Flight Risk. That is a combination that I will never willingly watch.

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photos credit: Claire Folger/Netflix Press

Tags ben affleck, matt-damon, movies, netflix

Ben Affleck Kevin Smith Matt Damon Movies

Kevin Smith is working on Dogma 2: expect a cameo from Affleck & Damon

Post author By celebrityabout
Post date November 19, 2024

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My favorite Kevin Smith movie is Dogma. I remember watching it for the first time, as a fairly sheltered Catholic teenager, and just loving it. It even had my favorite artist, Alanis Morissette, playing God herself. For years, it’s been impossible to find Dogma streaming anywhere, and that’s because Harvey Weinstein owned the rights to the movie and was holding it “hostage.” Last month, a new company finally bought the rights from Weinstein, which freed Kevin up to be able to screen it and more. In fact, it’s getting a re-release in theaters next year.

Kevin streamed Dogma at the Vulture Festival on Sunday, where he also did a Q&A. During the event, he dropped the news that not only has he figured out a way to do a Dogma sequel, but he’s also pretty sure that he’ll be able to convince Ben Affleck and Matt Damon to make an appearance. After all, as he points out, their participation is likely a key factor in getting a sequel off the ground.

During his Dogma Confessional on Sunday at Vulture Festival, the View Askewniverse creator revealed that he’s working on a sequel to the 1999 film, and he expects Ben Affleck and Matt Damon to return for cameos at least.

“Some people will be like, ‘Don’t f—ing touch it. You’ll ruin it,’” said Smith. “And I’m here to tell you: I will. I’m f—ing tickled. I found a way in.”

He sounded confident that Affleck and Damon would reprise their roles as fallen angels Bartleby and Loki. After Smith helped save the pair’s 1997 film Good Will Hunting, without so much as a thank you in their Golden Globes and Oscars speeches, they owe him.

“I have been able to hold that over both their heads for 25 f—ing years, which is why they keep showing up in all the movies,” said Smith. “Expect a cameo from them — more than a f—ing cameo. The only way we get a Dogma sequel made is if they’re there. So count on those guys being there.”

Sunday’s panel marks the 25th anniversary of Dogma, which saw Affleck and Damon’s buddy angels traveling to New Jersey in search of a loophole that will get them back to heaven. The film also features Linda Fiorentino, Salma Hayek, Alan Rickman, Chris Rock, Jason Lee and Alanis Morissette, as well as Jason Mewes and Smith reprising their roles as Jay and Silent Bob.

Dogma served as the fourth installment in Smith’s View Askewniverse, which also includes Clerks (1994), Mallrats (1995), Chasing Amy (1997), Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001), Clerks II (2006), Jay and Silent Bob Reboot (2019) and Clerks III (2022).

Last month, Smith announced that the religious satire is returning to theaters and getting a new home release after another company purchased the distribution rights from Miramax, making it potentially available to stream for the first time ever. Smith noted that the new Dogma deal could potentially lead to “sequels, TV versions, in terms of extending the story. Something we could never do before. So, exciting man. And all those people who worked in it are still viable.”

After Harvey Weinstein was accused of sexual assault by multiple women in 2017, Smith expressed that he was “ashamed” to have worked with the producer early in his career. He also pledged to donate all future residuals from his Miramax and Weinstein Co. work to Women in Film. Smith said at the time that Weinstein had recently approached him to make Dogma 2, an offer the director declined.

[From Deadline]

My very first thought upon hearing this news was to just let Dogma be. After all, why do we need a sequel? (Insert whatever “There’s no new ideas in Hollywood” grumbling of your choice.) What if a sequel ruins our enjoyment of the original? Last month, Kevin said that he was working with the company that bought the rights from Weinstein to do a tour with screenings in honor of its 25th anniversary. Why not just stick with that?

Then, I thought about it a little bit more. I think Kevin has calmed down and matured a lot since his health scare in 2018, and it seems like he’s in a healthy yet YOLO place in life. So, now I’m cautiously optimistic that he’ll ignore some of more over-the-top tendencies and give us one of his trademark zany yet cleverly written films. If he says he’s got a workaround, then sure, why not? I have no idea what a Dogma sequel would entail. Also, I have doubts that Ben and Matt would sign on for more than just a cameo, but we’ll see. I also must mention that a sequel simply won’t be the same without Alan Rickman (RIP), but if Ben and Matt really do come back, then sign me up. Sign me up twice if Alanis’ God returns to play some more skeeball.

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Tags ben affleck, Kevin Smith, matt-damon, movies

Casey Affleck Luciana Barroso Matt Damon

Matt Damon & Luciana brought their four daughters to ‘The Instigators’ premiere

Post author By celebrityabout
Post date August 1, 2024

Matt Damon has a new movie, out on AppleTV this month. The Instigators stars Damon, Casey Affleck, Jack Harlow (!!), Ving Rhames, Hong Chau, Alfred Molina and more. I’m including the trailer below – it reminds me a bit of The Town, which was (arguably) Ben Affleck’s best directorial effort. It’s like “what if The Town was funny and the thieves had a therapist?”

Last night was the big premiere, and Matt brought his whole family out. His mom was there, his wife Luciana was there, and he posed with their four daughters. Matt Damon has been a girl-dad this whole time and I was like “wait, his daughters are that old already??” From People, their daughters and their ages: Isabella, 18, Gia, 15, and Stella, 13, plus 24-year-old Alexia, who is Luciana’s daughter from a previous relationship (Matt raised Alexia and considers her one of his four kids). The girls are beautiful and they’re all sort of spectacular blends of Matt and Luciana? They got Matt’s cheekbones but with Luciana’s coloring and hair.

Also: Luciana apparently produced The Instigators and she “convinced” Matt to step into the role. I’m trying not to remember all of the dumb sh-t Matt has said over the years, and I just hope this promotional tour goes well and he doesn’t remind everyone of all of his gaffes.