So, picture this: You’re directing a movie with two of Hollywood’s brightest stars—Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck. And guess what? They’re kinda in the middle of a teensy-tiny breakup. Just a casual little blip in the romantic cosmos. What could possibly go wrong, right?
Enter William Goldenberg, the lucky man behind the wheel of this soon-to-be masterpiece called Unstoppable (which, irony of ironies, seems like it could use a pause button for some off-screen drama). Not only is William tasked with directing the 55-year-old ageless wonder that is J.Lo, but Ben is hanging around too, with producer duties and, presumably, Dunkin’ iced coffees in hand.
Oh, and by the way, this whole shebang is happening just after J.Lo filed for divorce. Perfect timing for some movie magic, right? The film’s set to debut at the Toronto Film Festival on September 6, but don’t expect a red carpet “Bennifer” reunion—Ben’s reportedly skipping the whole thing. Maybe he’s off rehearsing his Batman voice, who knows?
But here’s the real juice: William Goldenberg sat down with Variety to spill the tea. Is working with this power couple-turned-“we need to talk” duo awkward? Awkward like a third-wheel dinner date? Or like watching your grandma try to send a text?
Surprisingly, not at all. According to William, “not really.” Yep, that’s it. Not. Really. The man is clearly unflappable, like a Zen monk meditating in a hurricane of celebrity drama.
“Everybody’s a professional,” he declared. Which is Hollywood speak for “I don’t get paid enough to care about the gossip.” And he loves them both—awww, isn’t that sweet? Apparently, Ben is his bro, but Jennifer? “A dream to work with.” (Cue the angelic choir sounds.)
But let’s be real, William’s basically like, “Their personal life is their personal life, and I’m just here to make a movie, thank you very much. Please keep your emotional earthquakes off my set.”
Despite the A-list breakup, the movie rolls on, Jennifer is a dream, Ben’s keeping it low-key, and William? Well, he’s just here for a calm ride in the storm that is Hollywood.