Ben Affleck has lined up his next directorial effort, and it's a big one for Disney. Affleck has been tapped to helm an adaptation of Keeper of the Lost Cities, the best-selling fantasy book series from author Shannon Messenger. This could turn out to be Affleck's first stab at directing a blockbuster franchise. Should it pan out, Disney will have lots of source material to work with to develop it for years to come.

According to a new report, Disney is developing a Keeper of the Lost Cities movie, with Ben Affleck attached to direct. The Good Will Hunting and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice star will also pen the screenplay alongside Kate Gritmon. Affleck will, additionally, produce the movie through his Pearl Street production company.

Keeper of the Lost Cities was originally published in 2012 and has since spawned a series, currently consisting of eight main entries and 2020's Unlocked, which was billed as entry 8.5. The series also includes Exile, Everblaze, Neverseen, Lodestar, Nightfall, Flashback and Legacy. More than 2.5 million books are currently in print. The series centers on a young girl named Sophie who discovers she is a Telepath. The synopsis for the first book reads as follows.

For Ben Affleck, this adds to a growing slate for the Oscar-winning filmmaker. He has already lined up a remake of Witness for the Prosecution, as well as a World War II movie Ghost Army. On the acting side, Affleck starred in The Way Back last year and is set to reprise his role as Batman in Zack Snyder's Justice League this year. He is also starring alongside Matt Damon in Ridley Scott's The Last Duel, which is expected to arrive later this year.

For Disney, this could be another potential franchise to add to its huge stable of attractive IP. The studio is already home to Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars and more. Having a YA fantasy series under its belt couldn't hurt anything. We'll be sure to keep you posted as any further details on the project are made available. This news comes to us via Deadline.

Topics: Keeper of the Lost Cities, Disney