If you aren’t too furious with Ben Affleck for, you know, still being Batman after the internet frenzy that followed his casting as the Caped Crusader for Batman vs. Superman, a follow-up to this summer’s hugely successful Man of Steel, you’ll definitely want to check him out in the upcoming gambling thriller Runner, Runner alongside Justin Timberlake and Gemma Arterton.
Affleck plays Ivan Block, the ruthless owner of a rigged online poker site who cheats Princeton gambling whiz Richie Furst (Timberlake) out of his tuition money. When Furst flies to Block’s remote, tropical island fortress to confront him about his losses, the student is instead drawn into playing a much more dangerous game when Block decides to take him under his wing. Finding himself in too deep with the likes of murder and corruption, Furst’s way out arrives in the form of FBI Agent Zbysko (Anthony Mackie), who is investigating Block and tries to use Furst to bring the kingpin’s operation crashing down. Arterton plays Rebecca Shafran, a mysterious and beautiful woman with whom Furst and Block are both romantically involved with.
In the clip below, Block shows Furst his luxury yacht, nicknamed The House (because “the house always wins,” according to him). Though the trailers show that their relationship takes a turn for the worse later in the film, the characters appear to have only recently met in this clip, as Block is tempting the less-experienced Furst to “take a shot at a real business,” clearly dazzling him with the promise of a massive payday without mentioning any of the position’s less appealing aspects.
Check it out right here:
Surprisingly, the photos released from Runner, Runner focus almost exclusively on Arterton’s character, suggesting that the distributors believe her unmistakable sex appeal will drive more people to the film than its twisty gambling concept will. That’s a great sign for Arterton’s future as a movie star, but not so great for Runner, Runner, which is still flying under the radar despite its rapidly approaching release date.
Judging by those pictures, which you can check out below, Arterton is involved with both Affleck’s and Timberlake’s characters. Whose side she’s actually on is unclear, but it’s safe to say that Runner, Runner will be filled with all kinds of twists and turns. Also released were two posters for the thriller, one with the characters in high-definition and the other opting for a grimier, film noir feel.
Runner, Runner will dash into theaters stateside on October 4th. Does this thriller look like a ride you’ll take, or will it be another forgettable thriller not worth your time and money? Sound off in the comments section.