Ben Affleck has stayed out of the limelight ever since he retired from playing Batman. And it looks like he is getting back to something a bit more grounded and dramatic. Warner Bros. has released the first trailer for the sports drama The Way Back, which will reunite the actor with The Accountant director Gavin O’Connor.

In the film, Affleck plays a depressed alcoholic whose life has spiraled downward after a great tragedy. But he finds a second chance at life when someone offers him a job coaching basketball at his old high school. Of course, this job proves to be a bit difficult considering his personal problems, but it will also give him a chance to redeem himself and find a way to fight his demons in a more constructive way. Check out the trailer below.

O’Connor is no stranger to sports dramas having directed Warrior. But The Way Back feels like something more personal to Affleck. The actor has fought through his own struggles with alcoholism and substance abuse, so this may be a case of art reflecting life. And though we’ve seen these kinds of films where a coach with a problem finds his way back by connecting with a team that had no chance at winning, I can’t help but think this could be a chance for Affleck to get one step past his problems.

Here’s the official plot synopsis:

Jack Cunningham (Ben Affleck) once had a life filled with promise. In high school, he was a basketball phenom with a full university scholarship, when suddenly, for reasons unknown, he walked away from the game, forfeiting his future. Now years later, Jack is spiraling down, triggered by an unspeakable loss, and drowning in the alcoholism that cost him his marriage and any hope for a better life.

When he is asked to coach the basketball team at his alma mater, which has fallen far since his glory days, he reluctantly accepts, surprising no one more than himself. As the boys start to come together as a team and win, Jack may have finally found a reason to confront the demons that have derailed him. But will it be enough to fill the void, heal the deep wounds of his past, and set him on the road to redemption?

The film also stars Al Madrigal, Michaela Watkins, Janina Gavankar, and Glynn Turman.

Warner Bros. will release The Way Back in theaters on March 6, 2020.

Trailer

Poster

Every loss is another fight. Don’t miss @BenAffleck in #TheWayBack, only in theaters March 6, 2020. pic.twitter.com/gp4Ny1hFlV

— The Way Back (@TheWayBackMovie) November 14, 2019

[Source: Warner Bros. YT]