Although I haven't been able to see Gone Baby Gone because one British girl disappeared in a foreign country, I do hear great things about it, and Ben Affleck has been receiving great accolades for his directorial work.

Now he's set to continue his spate of crime as he turns The Blade Itself into a film.

With Miramax buying the rights to Marcus Sakey's first novel and Ben Affleck and Sean Bailey set to produce, it's a very good bet that we'll be seeing Affleck directing again.

Aaron Stockard is even adapting the script and he co-wrote Gone Baby Gone with Affleck.

The story follows two childhood friends who committed petty crime throughout their younger lives and who, in their adult years, decided to go their separate ways and choose completely different paths.

They reunite in their later years and the past comes to the fore. with one of the friends being forced into protecting the other from the past.

While that write up from Variety does sound a little cheesy, it is supposed to be an excellent first time novel, and the fact that this group of talent is on board confirms it.

How long before we hear that Affleck is directing?

Buy The Blade Itself from Play.com, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.