Don’t be fooled by the run-of-the-mill title for Warner Bros.’ action thriller The Accountant. With the likes of Ben Affleck, Anna Kendrick and Whiplash‘s J.K. Simmons already on board, the film recently added Interstellar‘s John Lithgow to the growing ensemble.
Directed by Gavin O’Connor, The Accountant centers on Affleck’s mild-mannered math genius, who balances his day job in the titular occupation by moonlighting as a highly-skilled assassin. As for Lithgow, we understand that the likeable star will slot in to the role of Lamar Black — not exactly the most affable name — a robotics engineer who crosses paths with Affleck’s protagonist after he pushes him to look into his company’s fluctuating finances. Given the serendipitous set-up, we’re going to assume that things don’t go exactly according to plan.
As we alluded to earlier, there’s a considerable amount of talent in front of the camera for Warner Bros.’ latest, but perhaps of equal importance is the man behind the lens. Having directed the heart-pounding drama Warrior back in 2011, O’Connor knows a thing or two about nailing a balance between action and character-driven drama. And with The Accountant, the filmmaker certainly has an enviable casting list to work with, leaving us feeling cautiosuly optimistic to see the final product.
In truth, the project has been simmering in development for quite some time at the studio. At one point, Mel Gibson had been attached to direct with Will Smith in the title role, though the pair soon passed up on the opportunity after development had stalled. Now, however, the Ben Affleck-led film is firmly back on track for a release later in the year.
Tell us, are you excited to see how Gavin O’Connor’s The Accountant pans out? Let us know your thoughts below.
