Ben Affleck's next 'Live By Night'

"Basically I'm doing a movie called Live By Night and I'm trying to meet this scheduled in order to do it, in order to meet the back end so that I can have it released at the right time," the actor-director said.

Affleck also explained that his plan of making the movie was the reason why he decided to depart from "Focus", in which he was supposedly starring opposite Kristen Stewart, reported Aceshowbiz.

"I just hadn't gotten enough writing done and it become clear that if I took that job and was in Buenos Aires for three months, I was gonna miss the deadline. I had to choose between getting the movie out when I want to or doing this one, so reluctantly I chose the former," he added.

The 40-year-old though wished he could team up with Stewart for the movie.

"But I love those guys. I love Kristen, I was really excited to work with her, I think the movie's gonna be fabulous, and I'm sure they'll find a great guy for it."

Reports that Affleck set his eyes on "Live By Night", which is developed at Warner Bros Pictures, was first shared last October. He was at the time in talks to helm the project, which was based on Dennis Lehane's mystery novel of the same name.

Aside from "Live By Night", Affleck is attached to helm Warners' other projects, including an adaptation of Stephen King's "The Stand" and a remake of French thriller "Tell No One (2013)".