Matt Damon and Casey Affleck may just be starring in the most Boston movie of all time. Their upcoming 2024 film features the two of them at the center, teaming up once again like Ocean's Eleven for another crime conspiracy. The The Instigators trailer has everything you want from a Massachusetts-set film: Fenway Park, Dunkin' Donuts product placement, and thick East Coast accents. It may be a surprise to some that former New England Patriots player Rob Gronkowski would even make an appearance, but with the Boston roots being at the forefront of this film, it totally makes sense.
Gronk's cameo in 80 for Brady showed he had a comedic streak, and The Roast of Tom Brady showed Gronkowski was willing to commit entirely to a funny bit. At this point, it feels inevitable that filmmakers would be in line to showcase this talent on the big screen.
Matt Damon told ET that the former tight end had a great time on set, even though he was only there for a short time.He also explained that it was Gronk’s specific brand of funny that made him the perfect fit for The Instigators, and The Martian actor is hoping audiences will find his scene just as funny as the creative team did. Also, this lays the Boston thing on pretty thick, but that’s part of the charm.
Gronk may have enjoyed working on the film even more than Damon and Affleck thought. Apparently, the football player thought he was going to be in the movie even more, and was a bit disappointed when he only made a brief appearance. Casey Affleck clarified on Andy Cohen’s Sirius XM show that Rob Gronkowski shot everything that was written for him, and it all ended up in the movie. He explained:
But it's been said that Gronk was bummed that he wasn't in it more. He only had one scene. I don't know how he could have been in it. It could have been a longer scene, I guess.
Cohen questioned whether or not the scene was shortened in the final edit of the film, but Affleck assured the talk show host that they used every bit of footage featuring the famed sports icon. He said:
I think it did. I think he, you know, but all that says to me is that he had a really good time and that he liked the movie and he wished he was in it more. I wish I was in the NFL more. You know what I mean? But I'm not so-
It’s actually pretty flattering that Gronk had such a great time on the film, and enjoyed it enough for him to wish he played an even bigger role in The Instigators. I personally can’t wait to see his cameo. If it’s anything like Tom Brady’s scene in Ted 2, I know audiences are in for a lot of laughs. While a comedic role in an action/comedy may feel like a natural step for Gronk, it's quite a different move for both Damon and Affleck. The longtime friends have mostly been associated with deeply serious dramas in recent years, so this is a much lighter tone than we are used to seeing from them. It should be exciting to see all these talents mesh for something so humorous and refreshing.
The pro football player ended up leaving the Patriots and retired in 2019, eventually returning to football a year later to play with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, only to retire again in 2022. Even though he ended his career in Florida, Gronk seems to still be very connected to his time in New England, and is still the perfect Massachusetts icon to be featured in this film, especially one led by Casey Affleck and Matt Damon.
You can check out Damon, Affleck, and Gronkowski in The Instigators, which will be available to stream for Apple TV+ subscribers on August 2, 2024. For more information on other exciting titles on the streamer, make sure to check out our feature on the best movies on AppleTV+ right now.
