Casey Affleck Has a 'Killer' Inside Him

Last year was a breakout year for Casey Affleck. He had two showcase roles in Gone Baby Gone and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, and you could make the argument that it was the best one-two punch of the year. If not that, then he certainly set you up with the jab and knocked you flat with the right hook.He's taking another trip into some real dark territory; The Hollywood Reporter says Affleck will team with director Michael Winterbottom for The Killer Inside Me. Technically, I guess, this is a remake, because a version of this story was done 30 years ago starring Stacy Keach, but it's probably just a complete re-do from the page rather than something informed by the movie. The Killer Inside Me is by noir writer Jim Thompson, an Oklahoman known as "The Dimestore Dostoyevsky" whose work spawned movie adaptations like After Dark, My Sweet, The Grifters, The Getaway, and the Kubrick films Paths of Glory and The Killing.The Killer Inside Me is damned twisted. It's about a sheriff who goes from being your average, run-of-the-mill cop to being a homicidal maniac. Fun!If you're unfamiliar with Michael Winterbottom, he's a director who works completely without a net. He never does the same thing twice, and his catalog includes such divergent material as Welcome to Sarajevo, 24 Hour Party People, A Mighty Heart, the incredibly strange A Cock and Bull Story, and the documentary The Road to Guantanamo. This film will mark yet another left turn in a career full of them.Oh, and if it doesn't already have your interest: Jessica Alba will play a prostitute.