The brothers reunited at Hotel Excelsior Venice Lido Resort during the 83rd Venice International Film Festival as Casey premiered his new film ‘Company’
Credit: Anthony Harvey/Shutterstock
NEED TO KNOW
- Ben Affleck attended the Venice International Film Festival to support Casey, who premiered his new film, Company
- Casey dedicated the film to their parents, who both died this year
- Casey directed his sons in the film, describing it as the “best professional experience” of his life by far
Ben Affleck and Casey Affleck are together again.
The brothers were photographed together at Hotel Excelsior Venice Lido Resort during the 83rd Venice International Film Festival on Tuesday, Sept. 8, as Casey, 51, premiered his new film Company. Ben, 54, attended the festival to support his younger brother, who directed, co-wrote and starred in the Gothic drama.
The reunion comes nearly a decade after the brothers were photographed together at the Los Angeles premiere of Manchester by the Sea in November 2016.
Credit: Hotel Excelsior Venice Lido
The brothers appeared together months after the deaths of their parents. During a press conference for Company on Tuesday, Casey said he dedicated the movie to their mother, Christopher “Chris” Anne Boldt, who died at 83 on June 2, and their father, Timothy “Tim” Byers Affleck, who died earlier this year.
The family announced Chris’ death in July. Casey’s comments were the first public confirmation of Timothy’s death.
“It’s dedicated to my parents because I lost both my mom and my dad this year, and they were very important to me,” Casey told reporters. “I really wanted to show this movie to them, and I didn’t get to. I think they would have liked it.”
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Company marks Casey’s third feature as a director and is competing at the Venice festival. The film stars Nick Nolte, Ben Mendelsohn, Adelaide Clemens, Scoot McNairy and Emily Alyn Lind. Casey’s sons, Indiana Affleck, 22, and Atticus Affleck, 18, also star in the movie.
Casey recently spoke about directing his two sons for the first time, calling the experience the “best professional experience of my life by far.”
“I think they grew up around it and had some interest in it and a sort of innate understanding of what it was,” Affleck said of his sons and the entertainment industry. “Like I did, my dad worked in the theater for many years. And so it’s passed down, I suppose, which is a really nice thing. And they were willing to be a part of this.”
Credit: Daniele Venturelli/WireImage
The film follows a mysterious woman who arrives uninvited at a holiday gathering in 1975 and tells the story of Tom, an aging hermit who rescues a stranded actress during a Colorado blizzard in 1953. Her story then leads into another tale about a farming couple who take in a stranger as a series of murders unfolds.
Casey said he had hoped his parents would be able to see the finished movie.
The brothers were raised in Cambridge, Mass., by Timothy and Chris, who divorced when Ben and Casey were children. Their mother was a teacher, while their father worked a variety of jobs and was also involved in theater.
Ben and Casey eventually followed their own paths in Hollywood, though their careers have crossed repeatedly. Ben broke out with Good Will Hunting, which he co-wrote with longtime friend Matt Damon and starred in alongside Casey. The film earned Ben and Damon, 55, the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay in 1998. Ben also won an Oscar in 2013 for producing the Best Picture winner, Argo, which he also directed.
Casey went on to establish his own career, earning an Academy Award for Best Actor for Manchester by the Sea in 2017. He also appeared in Gone Baby Gone, which marked Ben’s directorial debut.
Company premiered at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival on Sept. 8. A theatrical release date has not yet been announced.
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