Over a year after Casey Affleck was attached to star in Warner Bros.' Boston Strangler, the project has found a director, with Mark Romanek in negotiations.

Casey Affleck will play a Boston detective trying to figure out who this elusive killer is in the early 1960s for over a year and a half. Beantown native Chuck MacLean wrote the script after pitching the project to Warner Bros. Insiders claim that the writer's initial pitch was in the same vein as Seven and Zodiac, which fits the director's penchant for darker material.

The project is based on the true story of Albert De Salvo, who was arrested and eventually confessed to the killings. There are some who still believe there was more than one killer, and that Albert De Salvo was just a part of a larger operation. His story was previously adapted into the 1968 film The Boston Strangler, which starred Tony Curtis and Henry Fonda.

Kevin McCormick is producing through his Langley Park production company, with Casey Affleck serving as executive producer. Sarah Schechter is overseeing the project for Warner Bros. No production schedule was given.

Mark Romanek's previous directorial credits include Static, One Hour Photo and Never Let Me Go.