An explosive Hollywood feud, sparked by a holiday pool fight, reportedly led legendary director Steven Spielberg to refuse to work with actor Ben Affleck on a major film project.
The Project That Sparked the Conflict
According to screenwriter Mike Binder, the dispute came to a head in 2006 during pre-production for the film Man About Town. Binder claimed that Spielberg was initially attached to direct the movie for his studio, DreamWorks Pictures. The plot centred on a Hollywood talent agent whose diary, filled with sensitive client information, falls into the hands of a journalist.
Although Spielberg later decided not to direct, he encouraged Binder to helm the project himself. However, problems arose when Binder suggested casting Ben Affleck in the lead role. "I call Steven, 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 on the One Bad Movie podcast.
The Infamous Pool Incident
Binder revealed that Spielberg's "other problems" with Affleck dated back years, to a time when the actor was dating Spielberg's goddaughter, Gwyneth Paltrow. The families were on a joint holiday when an aquatic altercation occurred.
"Spielberg's son 'pushed' Affleck into a pool during a family vacation together when he was fully dressed 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'," Binder claimed Spielberg told him.
This long-held grudge, combined with Affleck's recent box-office struggles at the time, sealed the decision. Spielberg's final advice was blunt: "Find somebody else. Anyone but him. He's cold as hell."
Aftermath and an Ironic Oscars Moment
When Binder relayed the news to Affleck's agent, the actor immediately guessed the reason. "Yes he did! He told you I threw his kid in the water. That's why I'm not on the movie," Affleck allegedly said.
Despite Spielberg eventually relenting, DreamWorks dropped the project the very next day. Binder eventually made the film with Affleck for the independent companies Media 8 and Lionsgate, with the movie going straight to DVD in 2006. The cast also included Jerry O'Connell and Monty Python's John Cleese.
The feud appeared to thaw by 2013. Binder witnessed the two Hollywood giants sharing a hug at the Academy Awards after Affleck's film Argo beat Spielberg's Lincoln for Best Picture. Binder texted Affleck a joke about the pool incident, to which the actor later replied, "That made me laugh so f*****g hard."
Metro has approached representatives for both Steven Spielberg and Ben Affleck for comment.
