Affleck sharpens "Blade" for big screen

Actor Ben Affleck accepts his Best Directorial Debut award for his work with "Gone Baby Gone" during the National Board Of Review of Motion Pictures award gala in New York January 15, 2008. [Agencies]

Ben Affleck is reuniting with some of his "Gone Baby Gone" cohorts to bring another gritty crime novel to the big screen.

Miramax has acquired the rights to Marcus Sakey's debut novel "The Blade Itself," which Affleck will produce with Sean Bailey. They performed the same duties on Miramax's "Gone Baby Gone," which Affleck also directed.

The adaptation will be written by Aaron Stockard, who co-wrote "Gone Baby Gone" with Affleck.

"Blade" revolves around two Chicago childhood friends who made their reputation committing petty crimes as kids before choosing different paths in life. When they are reunited years later, one is forced to decide how far he will go to protect the secrets of his past. Esquire magazine named the novel one of the five best of 2007.

Affleck is currently filming "State of Play" for Universal.