Affleck circles 'The Third Wheel'

Dec. 04, 1997 - Ben Affleck, who has swiftly become one of Hollywood's busiest young actors, is attached to star in the indie romantic comedy "The Third Wheel," sources confirmed.

The project is the first green-lighted film for recently formed HSI-Tomorrow Films.

"The Third Wheel" was written by character actor Jay Lacopo, who will also star in the film. The story concerns a man in love who plans a perfect evening -- but things do not go as planned.

Affleck is winning critical praise for his writing and acting in Gus Van Sant's "Good Will Hunting." Chris Moore -- who co-produced "Good Will Hunting" and will produce New Line Cinema's "Balling the Jack," also to star Affleck -- brought "The Third Wheel" to HSI-Tomorrow.

Moore will produce the film with Stavros Merjos, Adam Rosenfelt and Chad Snopek. Yoram Pelman will executive produce.

HSI-Tomorrow is looking for a director, so a start date hasn't been set. One source speculated the film will roll in late summer.

HSI-Tomorrow was formed this year by HSI, a large commercial-music video company owned by Merjos, and Tomorrow Films, a foreign-sales company owned by Pelman. HSI-Tomorrow recently inked a first-look deal with Warner Bros. for its larger-budgeted projects but will self-finance the low-budget "The Third Wheel."

Affleck and Lacopo collaborated on the little-seen indie film "Glory Days," and Affleck later directed Lacopo in a short film.

Affleck, repped by Patrick Whitesell at CAA, is now shooting Bruce Willis starrer "Armageddon." Affleck also starred in "Chasing Amy" and "Going All the Way."

Lacopo, repped as a writer by the Jon Klane Agency, has sold a comedy script he co-wrote with Kamala Lopez titled "Mr. Hawaii" to Mandalay Entertainment. Mandalay is seeking a director for the project, for which Chris Farley and Hank Azaria have expressed interest.

Lacopo's acting credits include "Speed 2."