Ben Affleck and Matt Damon Are Making a FIFA Scandal Movie

Miramax

If you’ve been curious about the FIFA corruption case but don’t like following and reading the news, then you’re in luck because a movie about the scandal is now in the works. Soon enough, you’ll be able to catch up with the whole story, or at least the parts that fit a feature-length narrative, through the dramatic plotting of screenwriter Anthony Tambakis (Warrior; Jane Got a Gun).

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Tambakis will re-team with Warrior and Jane Got a Gun director Gavin O’Connor on this new project, which will adapt the not-yet-written book “Houses of Deceit” by Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Ken Bensinger (he previously wrote the article “Mr. Ten Percent: The Man Who Built — And Bilked — American Soccer” at BuzzFeed, which led to the book proposal). And O’Connor will re-team with his The Accountant star Ben Affleck, who is producing the FIFA movie with Matt Damon for Warner Bros.

I say either actor should also lead with a portrayal of former FIFA Executive Committee member Chuck Blazer. Both stars are way too young, but just about anybody could pass as the corrupt administrator with the right wig and fake beard. Blazer, who pled guilty to charges connected to the committee’s acceptance of bribes from potential host countries for the World Cup, will be the main focus of the movie.

Given that the book is only so far at the proposal level, it will be a while before this arrives before cameras, let alone in theaters. But when it does, let’s hope it fares better than this year’s FIFA movie, United Passions, which the soccer association funded and which stars Tim Roth in a favorable portrayal of FIFA president Sepp Blatter and which had the misfortune of being released right after the latest, massive developments of the scandal. It took in only $609 at the box office when it opened earlier this month.

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