Steven Spielberg and Ben Affleck were once expected to cross paths professionally, until an awkward pool party incident allegedly put any future collaboration off the table.
The claim was recently made by director Mike Binder during a podcast appearance, in which he alleged that, in the 2000s, the celebrated Jaws filmmaker and Affleck had a falling-out following an uncomfortable encounter involving one of Spielberg’s children.
Highlights
- Steven Spielberg allegedly refused to work with Ben Affleck following an awkward pool party incident involving his son.
- Director Mike Binder claimed the fallout cost Spielberg’s planned involvement in the 2006 film Man About Town, which later struggled at the box office.
- The alleged story sparked heated debate online, with many users siding with Ben and criticizing Spielberg for how he handled the situation.
“Why would he not have reprimanded his son instead of hating on Ben? I am 100% on Ben’s side,” one social media user reacted.
Steven Spielberg reportedly walked away from directing a film written by Mike Binder after learning that Ben Affleck would be cast in the lead role
Image credits: ColbertLateShow
During an appearance on Stephen Baldwin’s podcast One Bad Movie, which was uploaded to YouTube on November 11, Mike Binder claimed that the alleged feud between Steven Spielberg and Ben Affleck originated from his 2006 film Man About Town.
The filmmaker revealed that while developing the project, Spielberg had initially expressed strong interest, having previously praised Binder’s film The Upside of Anger.
Mike recalled, “[Steven] said, 'We gotta do something together. I want you to write something for me.’”
Image credits: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images
Discussing the inspiration behind the script, the 67-year-old shared that the story was partially influenced by a home invasion scare at Spielberg’s house at the time.
“At the time, we both lived up in the Palisades, and we were talking about power and struggles, and also he was going through a thing where there was a guy who broke into his house late at night, and was gonna, they found notes.”
Image credits: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
“The guy was gonna electrocute Steven, beat him up, and it was just horrible,” he added.
According to Binder, the film was originally set to be directed by Spielberg himself and produced by his studio, DreamWorks.
Later, the 79-year-old famed filmmaker backed out of directing the project but initially expressed interest in producing it through his studio, prompting Binder to step in as director.
Binder then met with the Gone Girl star, and the two reached what he described as “a deal.”
A pool party at Spielberg’s home reportedly soured the relationship between him and Affleck after the actor allegedly made Spielberg’s son “cry”
Image credits: Kevin Mazur Archive/WireImage
However, upon learning that Affleck would be cast in the lead role, Spielberg allegedly withdrew from the project entirely, refusing even to produce it, and told Binder at the time, “No. Can’t do it with him.”
The director continued, “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.”
Image credits: gwynethpaltrow
The remark was a reference to Ben and Jennifer Lopez’s 2003 film Gigli, which was widely considered a major flop, as well as the couple’s highly publicized broken engagement in early 2004.
However, Binder suggested that these were only part of the issue, revealing that another major factor was Steven’s claim that Affleck had mistreated his son during a family vacation while the actor was dating the director’s goddaughter, Gwyneth Paltrow.
Image credits: DreamWorks Pictures
Affleck and Paltrow dated on and off for three years between 1997 and 2000 and co-starred in films such as Shakespeare in Love and Bounce.
Mike recalled Steven allegedly explaining the incident, saying, “My son was a little boy, he was playing in the pool, and he got out of the pool, and Ben came in fully dressed, and my son pushed Ben into the pool.”
“Can’t do it with him,” the 79-year-old Schindler’s List director reportedly said as he refused to work with Ben for Mike’s 2006 film
Image credits: TIME
“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.”
Spielberg allegedly added, “I just don’t like to work with him. Plus his last two movies bombed. Find somebody else. Anyone but him. He’s cold as hell.”
When Binder relayed the decision to Affleck’s agent, the Deep Water star reportedly already knew the reason.
Mike further recalled, “Ben calls me up, he says, 'Did Steven Spielberg tell you I threw his kid in the water? Is that what happened? Is that why I'm not on your movie?'"
Image credits: Kevin Winter/Getty Images
“I said, ‘No, he didn’t say…’ ‘Yes he did! He told you I threw his kid in the water. That’s why I’m not on the movie,'” He added.
Social media users were surprised, and largely unimpressed, by Spielberg’s handling of the alleged pool incident, with many criticizing his parenting.
Years later, Binder and Affleck reportedly even joked about the incident after the latter’s film beat Spielberg’s project at the 2013 Academy Awards
Image credits: Miramax
One netizen wrote, “If I had shoved a fully-clothed person into a pool when I was a kid, regardless of the age, and that fully-clothed person then threw me into the pool, my father would have tipped the guy and thank him for teaching me some manners.”
Another user commented, “I would do the same thing. Lol! Fully dressed and pushed into a pool? Yeah I’m pushing you in as well.”
Image credits: ColbertLateShow
“When they say Hollywood’s morals are screwed up, this should be exhibit A. Whose kid throws a fully clothed adult in a pool? And didn’t get punished? And the adult bears the blame?”
While Spielberg ultimately backed out of the project entirely, Binder went on to direct the film with Affleck in the lead role, and it was produced by Lionsgate.
Image credits: OneBadMovie
Years later, at the 2013 Academy Awards, Argo won Best Picture, beating Spielberg’s Lincoln.
Binder, who was watching the ceremony on television, said he immediately texted Affleck, writing, “Tonight you could throw Spielberg's whole family in the pool and get away with it.”
The Reign Over Me director concluded by reflecting on the situation, saying, “I love both these guys, and they're both smarter than me, but they both kinda acted like idiots, and so did I. They were great guys, but at the same time, a**holes.”
“Oh I gotta side with Ben here. The kid was being a brat,” one displeased social media user wrote
