L.A. Times “Envelope” Story on ‘Promised Land’

Matt Damon and John Krasinski’s zigzag path to ‘Promised Land’

The two found they worked together well on a project about wind power. Then the whole idea for the film fell apart. A new focus, director and studio brought it back to life.

In the 15 years since Matt Damon and Ben Affleck won the Academy Award for their “Good Will Hunting” screenplay, Damon has worked with some of Hollywood’s best directors, become a humanitarian in Africa and even parodied himself with the help of Kevin Smith and Jimmy Kimmel. What he hasn’t done is write another script.

Until now.

In partnership with John Krasinski of “The Office,” Damon, 42, has returned to the blank page, co-writing “Promised Land,” a script that he initially intended to direct, about a young comer in the natural gas industry who is selling the controversial practice of “fracking” to homeowners in struggling rural communities.