Ben Affleck's next project will be an adaptation of Live By Night, Digital Spy said.

The Playlist reports that Affleck will write, direct and star in the big-screen version of Dennis Lehane's novel, which takes place in Prohibition-era Boston.

The story centres on Joe Coughlin (Affleck), the son of a cop who becomes involved in the world of organised crime and "journeys from Tampa to Cuba, encountering various dames, lowlifes and more in a tale of revenge and redemption".

Affleck's directorial debut, 2007's Gone Baby Gone, was adapted from Lehane's novel of the same name.

His political thriller Argo, in which he starred as CIA operative Tony Mendez, won this year's Academy Award for Best Picture.