Ben Affleck would like to remind us that before he became Sad Ben Affleck, he was the director of acclaimed films like Gone Baby Gone and Best Picture winner Argo. Our first peek at Affleck’s return to directing comes with the violent, guns-blazing trailer for Live by Night. Based on the book by Dennis Lehane, the film is set in the 1920s and follows soldier-turned-bootlegger Joe Coughlin as he climbs the ladder of organized crime.
Affleck is ripe for a comeback, and Live by Night seems right up his alley—in addition to directing, he stars as Coughlin, who, despite the story’s Florida setting, is the son of a Boston police captain (surprise, surprise). In the hopes of redeeming himself even further, Affleck is also at the helm of the upcoming Batman solo movie.
Live by Night, which co-stars Zoe Saldana, Sienna Miller, Brendan Gleeson, Chris Messina, and Elle Fanning, hits theaters Jan. 13.
