# In 1996, Ben Affleck thought one movie would have him “set for life”. 29 years later, he called it “utter garbage”

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/in-1996-ben-affleck-thought-one-movie-would-have-him-set-for-life-29-years-later-he-called-it-utter-garbage/
- Published: 2026-11-09T15:45:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-09T17:07:44+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/ben-affleck-thought-one-movie-have-him-set-for-life-called-it-utter-garbage/
- Topics: Entertainment, Film

## Key points

- Affleck thought $250,000 for *Phantoms* would set him for life.
- The horror film failed to live up to his expectations.
- He later called it “utter garbage”.

## Summary

Ben Affleck recalled expecting the 1998 horror film *Phantoms* to secure his finances after earning $250,000 for the role. Instead, the film was poorly received, and he later described it as “utter garbage”, showing how a young actor’s hopes for a career-making payday did not match the result.

Affleck said his friend and collaborator Matt Damon was more selective about roles, while he accepted *Phantoms* partly because of its fee. The film was directed by Joe Chappelle and also starred Rose McGowan, Liev Schreiber and Peter O’Toole. It began production in October 1996, before *Good Will Hunting* was filmed; Affleck made the remarks in a career retrospective in April 2025.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.