Summary

• The Instigators is the next Boston-based movie from Affleck and Damon, with Casey Affleck on board as well.
• Both stars have embraced their Boston roots since working on Good Will Hunting, and continue to do so.
• Affleck and Damon's relatability as celebrities is enhanced by their love for their hometown, Boston.

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck have a new movie in the works that continues a long-standing trend in their careers. The two stars, now veterans in the Hollywood scene, famously grew up together in Boston, bonding over their shared desire to become actors. Together, the pair wrote the script for Good Will Hunting, which they went on to star in, winning them their first Oscars and launching them into fame. For years, they went along their separate ways before returning to collaborate on the script for The Last Duel, which they also co-starred in.

Realizing how much they loved working together, Damon and Affleck co-founded Artists Equity, their own production company, in late 2022. The company produced the movie Air, which was released to critical acclaim in 2023. Ben Affleck and Matt Damon have co-starred in 10 films, and the start of Artists Equity means even more collaborations for the two of them. Their upcoming movie, The Instigators, returns them to their roots for the first time in years.

The Instigators Is Another Affleck & Damon Movie Set In Boston

Produced By Ben Affleck And Starring Matt Damon, The Instigators Is Another Boston Movie From The Pair

The most notable aspect of The Instigators is that it's set in Boston, the city that's played a significant role in their careers.

The next film for Artists Equity will be The Instigators, which is being directed by Doug Liman (Road House). Though Ben Affleck won't be appearing in the film with Damon, he's a producer on the movie. The Instigators is co-written and will co-star Casey Affleck, Ben's brother, who shared the screen with the pair on Good Will Hunting. The most notable aspect of The Instigators is that it's set in Boston, the city that's played a significant role in their careers. The plot follows two thieves and their kidnapped therapists on the run after a failed robbery.

Good Will Hunting is notably one of the great movies set in Boston, and the two stars have continued to embrace their roots throughout their respective careers. Ben Affleck has directed three films set in Boston, all of which star either himself or Casey Affleck. The thrillers Gone Baby Gone and The Town are the highlights of Affleck's Boston movies, both of which received almost unanimous critical acclaim. Matt Damon also starred in Martin Scorsese's Boston crime thriller, The Departed, which won Best Picture.

How Boston Has Shaped Ben Affleck & Matt Damon's Careers

Ben Affleck And Matt Damon Have Consistently Embraced Being From Boston

Ben Affleck played a New Yorker, yet adamantly refused to wear a Yankees hat even for the character, not wanting to show support for a rival team, even for a big movie.

For Damon and Affleck, being from Boston has been an enormous aspect of their celebrity identities. Both stars embrace their origins, staying true to Boston sports and culture in interviews and even behind the scenes. For example, in Gone Girl, Ben Affleck played a New Yorker, yet adamantly refused to wear a Yankees hat even for the character, not wanting to show support for a rival team, even for a big movie. In 2024, both stars appeared in a Super Bowl commercial with Boston sports legend Tom Brady, whom both have admitted to idolizing.

It can be difficult for celebrities to stay relatable, but despite everything, the pair maintain personas that seem easy to connect to due to their love for their hometown. Embracing Boston has made Matt Damon and Ben Affleck as relatable as they could be as movie stars, which helps them on-screen. Not to mention, Good Will Hunting is still one of Matt Damon's best movies and also one of Affleck's proving how personable movies can be when the artists involved are working with what they know.