Highlights
- Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s enduring friendship was tested during the lengthy and challenging process of writing the screenplay for Good Will Hunting.
- The duo wrote thousands of pages and faced obstacles that almost broke their writing partnership, putting them off writing again for years.
- After over two decades, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon collaborated again on The Last Duel, which garnered critical acclaim, despite not performing well at the box office.
The childhood companions, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, shared their formative years in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Their enduring friendship blossomed when Damon was 10 and Affleck was 8, laying the foundation for a bond that continued as they ascended to the heights of stardom in the film industry.
However, even the strongest friendships face trials, and the duo faced a moment that nearly ended their friendship during the process of crafting their Oscar-winning screenplay for Good Will Hunting.
The following will dig deeper into what happened between Ben Affleck and Matt Damon while writing Good Will Hunting together.
Collaborating on various hit movies, Affleck and Damon navigated the challenges of fame together, but it would take them over two decades to work on a script together again. The duo have explained how the Oscar-winning movie that brought them Hollywood fame and acclaim tested their enduring friendship.
Ben Affleck And Matt Damon Never Intended For Robin Williams To Star In Good Will Hunting
Ben Affleck and Matt Damon threw around actors’ names for Sean Maguire in ‘Good Will Hunting’ but Robin Williams was not one of them.
Good Will Hunting Nearly Broke Ben Affleck And Matt Damon’s Creative Friendship
During a guest appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in 2021, Matt Damon shared insights into the challenges they faced while writing the script for Good Will Hunting. Despite the film’s eventual success, Damon revealed that the extensive process came close to breaking the writing partnership between him and Ben Affleck.
“I mean, I think Good Will Hunting took us so long. We were, like, unemployed, broke guys,” Matt said before explaining why it took 25 years for the duo to collaborate again. “It took us forever to write that screenplay. I think we wrote thousands and thousands of pages. I don’t think we really knew what we were doing,” he added.
“I think that kind of put us off writing again because we never thought we’d have the time.”
This Is Why Ben Affleck And Matt Damon Refuse To Do Good Will Hunting 2
Matt Damon and Ben Affleck haver zero plans to revive the project that brought them together into Hollywood.
However, Matt Damon went on to credit their decades of experience in the film industry for helping things go a little more smoothly the second time around. Matt Damon and Ben Affleck reunited for their second collaborative writing project, The Last Duel over 20 years after writing Good Will Hunting.
Although the film did not fare well at the box office, earning only $30 million against its $100 million budget, it garnered widespread critical acclaim. With approximately 280 positive reviews from critics, it maintains an 85% approval score on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Last Duel was chosen by the National Board of Review as one of the top ten films of 2021. Subsequently, the film achieved financial success on digital platforms and premium video-on-demand.
Good Will Hunting Was Originally A Thriller
Good Will Hunting is an emotional drama centered around a troubled math genius, Will Hunting, played by Matt Damon, employed as a janitor at MIT. The narrative takes a turn when he begins seeing a therapist, Sean Maguire, portrayed by Robin Williams. This version significantly diverges from the movie’s original concept.
Matt Damon and Ben Affleck originally envisioned Good Will Hunting as a gritty South Boston thriller with a highly intelligent protagonist pursued by the government, the script was purchased by Castle Rock Entertainment. Castle Rock’s president, Rob Reiner, recommended a shift away from the thriller angle, emphasizing the relationship between the protagonist, Will, and his therapist.
According to Indie Wire, Terrence Malick then suggested the film should end with Will deciding to follow his girlfriend Skylar to California instead of leaving together. After obtaining the rights from Castle Rock, Miramax took charge of the film’s production. Directed by Gus Van Sant and produced by Lawrence Bender, the movie was released in 1997.
Ben Affleck And Matt Damon Regret Listening To People Who Told Them Not To Work Together
Ben Affleck and Matt Damon would have worked together again sooner if critics hadn’t warned them against collaborations.
Ben Affleck And Matt Damon Went Broke After Good Will Hunting Success
During a recent appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show, Ben Affleck revealed that just half a year after pocketing $600,000 from selling the Good Will Hunting script, he and Damon found themselves in financial trouble. Affleck humorously recounted his initial optimism, thinking they were “rich for life” after the sale.
However, after splitting the $600,000 and accounting for agent fees and taxes, they were left with $110,000. Opting for $55,000 Jeep Cherokees, they spent the remaining amount. Ben Affleck amusingly shared that their financial adventure continued when they decided to rent a $5,000-a-month party house by the Hollywood Bowl, leading to them being broke within six months.
How Ben Affleck And Matt Damon Struggled Before Writing Good Will Hunting
Before the success of Good Will Hunting during the initial stages of their careers, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon faced challenges in securing roles. Ben, who eventually secured an agent, played a pivotal role in assisting Matt to find representation, igniting the spark for their careers. Together, they embarked on the Hollywood audition circuit.
Before achieving widespread success, Damon took on roles in films like The Rainmaker and Courage Under Fire, while Affleck appeared in smaller roles in movies like Mallrats and Glory Daze. The duo eventually shared the screen in the low-budget film titled Chasing Amy.
Good Will Hunting came about when Damon initially intended to write a play for his Harvard playwriting class but diverged, producing a 40-page script instead. Recognizing its potential, Damon enlisted Affleck to help expand the concept, and by 1994, they had completed the initial version of the script. The pair decided to live together and dedicated themselves to crafting the original screenplay for Good Will Hunting.
Source: NewsFinale
