The new official trailer for Runner, Runner starring Ben Affleck and Justin Timberlake came out this month and showcases the world of online gambling. Timberlake plays a Princeton college student who loses his tuition after getting cheated playing online poker.
When he learns that the gambling website is on a distant island, he travels there to confront its owner Ivan Block (Affleck), but instead becomes the latter’s protégé. FBI agents move in and try to use Richie (Timberlake) to bring down Block.
Produced by Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Davisson Killoran, Brian Koppelman, David Levien, Michael Shamberg and Stacey Sher, the movie’s director is Brad Furman. Filming took place on Princeton University and in Puerto Rico during 2012. The scheduled release date is September 27, 2013.
Judging from the trailer, the film looks like an action-packed thriller that deals more with the underside of the gambling business. In the story, the offshore gambling site uses a corrupt software “backdoor” to cheat online gamblers out of their money. Timberlake’s character finds himself caught in a struggle over whether to participate in the game or whether to cooperate with law enforcement officials.