Ben Affleck Ready To Proclaim 'I Am Still Alive' (In A Movie)

Ben Affleck's time playing Batman may be dead (allegedly), which gives him plenty of time to star in I Am Still Alive. Based on the novel by Kate Alice Marshall, I Am Still Alive is a story of survival in the same vein as 127 Hours, Wild and even The Revenant. Lori Evans Taylor will pen the adaptation, with Affleck producing and co-starring in the film.

According to THR, Ben Affleck is boarding the project I Am Still Alive. Here's the intriguing synopsis of the novel:

After: Jess is alone. Her cabin has burned to the ground. She knows if she doesn't act fast, the cold will kill her before she has time to worry about food. But she is still alive—for now.

Before: Jess hadn't seen her survivalist, off-the-grid dad in over a decade. But after a car crash killed her mother and left her injured, she was forced to move to his cabin in the remote Canadian wilderness. Just as Jess was beginning to get to know him, a secret from his past paid them a visit, leaving her father dead and Jess stranded.After: With only her father's dog for company, Jess must forage and hunt for food, build shelter, and keep herself warm. Some days it feels like the wild is out to destroy her, but she's stronger than she ever imagined.

Jess will survive. She has to. She knows who killed her father...and she wants revenge.

Affleck will play the father, which means he won't be the one saying "I am still alive!' for long. Obviously this won't be a very big role for Affleck, which suggests that maybe he's entering the supporting character actor stage of his career. Or he just wants to try something different.

This sounds like ripe material for a thrilling film, combining elements of The Revenant, Wild and even the recent film Leave No Trace. I suppose that also makes it a bit derivative, but if it can forge its own identity, the movie should be in good shape. Casting is key too – it sounds like the character of Jess carries most of the film, so they'll need to find a young actress with enough talent to pull that off.

Lori Evans Taylor, who has primarily written for TV, is writing the adaptation. She was also a producer on shows like Raw Alaska, Untamed & Uncut, and Against the Elements, which suggests she's particularly drawn to survivalist tales.