Ms. Lively Goes to Town

Ben Affleck is following up his behind-the-camera turn in Gone Baby Gone with The Town, an adaptation of Chuck Hogan’s novel Prince of Thieves.

The actor-writer-director has tapped Gossip Girl star Blake Lively to join Jon Hamm (AMC’s Mad Men), Rebecca Hall (Vicky Cristina Barcelona), and Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker) in the ensemble piece.

Chris Cooper is in negotiations to come on board, too.

The story follows a bank manager (Hall), the career criminal (Affleck himself) who stole more than her heart, and the dedicated FBI agent (Hamm) trying to bust the crook and his gang, of which Renner is a part.

Lively will play Renner’s sister and Affleck’s troubled ex-girlfriend. (Cooper would play Affleck’s father.)

Photo: People.com.