Ben Affleck is circling the male lead in the upcoming 20th Century Fox and New Regency thriller Gone Girl. It isn't known if negotiations are under way yet, but if a deal is finalized, the multi-hyphenate will shoot this before moving on to starring in and directing Live by Night for Warner Bros.

Based on the best-selling novel by Gillian Flynn, the story centers around a woman who goes missing on her fifth wedding anniversary, with the husband (Ben Affleck) emerging as the primary suspect in her mysterious disappearance. The wife has not been cast at this time.

David Fincher is directing from an adapted screenplay that Gillian Flynn wrote herself. We first reported on the project almost exactly one year ago today, when Reese Witherspoon came aboard to produce with her Pacific Standard partner Bruna Papandrea. Leslie Dixon is also attached to produce, although no production schedule has been given.

Ben Affleck recently starred in Terrence Malick's To the Wonder and he will be seen next in Brad Furman's Runner, Runner this fall.