An alleged two-decade-old grudge held by Steven Spielberg against Ben Affleck, stemming from a family holiday pool fight, once cost the actor a major film role, a screenwriter has claimed.
The Film Project That Sparked the Feud
Mike Binder, the writer behind the 2006 Hollywood satire Man About Town, has revealed that Steven Spielberg was initially attached to direct the project for his DreamWorks Pictures studio. According to Binder, speaking on the One Bad Movie podcast, Spielberg later stepped back from directing but encouraged Binder to helm the film himself.
The trouble began when Binder wanted to cast Ben Affleck in the lead role. Binder claims a phone call to Spielberg resulted in a firm refusal. "Steven says: ‘No. Can’t do it with him. We just bombed with a movie with him, he’s got that whole J-Lo thing going on now, and I have other problems with him,’" Binder recounted.
The Alleged Poolside Incident
Those "other problems" reportedly dated back to the late 1990s, when Affleck was in a relationship with Spielberg's goddaughter, Gwyneth Paltrow. Binder alleges Spielberg told him a story about a shared family vacation.
"My son was a little boy, he was playing in the pool, and he got out of the pool, and Ben came in fully dressed, and my son pushed Ben into the pool," Binder recalls Spielberg saying. "And Ben got really mad at him, and he came out of the pool and picked him up and threw him back into the pool, and made my son cry."
Spielberg allegedly concluded by telling Binder: "I just don't like to work with him. Plus his last two movies bombed. Find somebody else. Anyone but him. He’s cold as hell."
Affleck's Reaction and the Project's Collapse
When Binder informed Affleck's agent he couldn't cast him, the actor called back immediately. Affleck allegedly guessed the reason, asking: "Did Steven Spielberg tell you I threw his kid in the water? Is that what happened?" Binder attempted to deny it, but Affleck was reportedly convinced.
Binder says he called Spielberg back to advocate for Affleck, and the director reluctantly agreed. However, the very next day, DreamWorks dropped the Man About Town project entirely. Binder eventually made the film independently with Affleck in the lead, and it was released straight to DVD by Lionsgate in 2006.
From Pool Fight to Oscar Glory
The story has a notable postscript. Binder added that he watched the 2013 Academy Awards, where Ben Affleck's film Argo beat Spielberg's Lincoln for the Best Picture Oscar. Seeing the two men hug on stage, Binder texted Affleck a joke: "Ben, tonight you could throw Spielberg’s whole family in the pool and get away with it."
Affleck, calling from the awards ceremony about an hour later, reportedly found the remark hilarious. The Independent has contacted representatives for both Steven Spielberg and Ben Affleck for comment.
