‘Unstoppable’ Director Talks Working With Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck

Many directors have already gained some experience as editors, such as Steven Soderbergh and Alfonso Cuaron. But William Goldenberg is one of the few top editors to have made the leap to directing at the height of his prowess.

Goldenberg, who won an Oscar for “Argo,” is about to find out if his mid-career gamble pays off when his directorial debut, “Unstoppable,” makes its world premiere Sept. 6 at the Toronto Film Festival.

“I’ve always been a little slow to party,” he says. “I’ve played ice hockey my whole life, and when I was 15, people made fun of me because I was the worst player in my neighborhood. And by the time I was 20, I was playing ice hockey in college, and none of them were doing it.”

The cast of “Unstoppable” includes Jharrel Jerome, Jennifer Lopez, Don Cheadle, Bobby Cannavale and Michael Peña. The film tells the true story of Anthony Robles, who was born without a right leg but never let that interfere with his dream of becoming a professional wrestler.

After his Oscar win in 2013, Goldenberg was approached to direct the film, but he already had a full editing schedule. But “Unstoppable” producer David Crockett told him Anthony’s true story, and Goldenberg was intrigued.

“But what really inspired me to do this was meeting Anthony,” Goldenberg says. “He’s just one of those people. When he walks into a room, the room lights up. It’s the effect he has on people, the way he interacts with people, the way they leave feeling better than when they first started talking to him, and I thought the world could use a little bit of that.”

Goldenberg was busy editing Ben Affleck’s “Air” when he showed the script to his “Argo” costar in October 2022. Affleck loved the project. Amazon, which distributed “Air,” was eager to get back to work with Affleck and the company signed on to make “Unstoppable,” with Affleck producing and Matt Damon executive producing. (Artists Equity, Affleck and Damon’s company, served as the studio for both the film and “Air.”) Affleck hired his wife, Lopez, to play Anthony’s mother.

Yet the real-life film has also been caught in a real-life loop. On the eve of “Unstoppable’s” release, Affleck and Lopez announced they were divorcing. Lopez will walk the red carpet. But Affleck is not expected to attend the premiere.

As for possible discomfort, Goldenberg answers “not really.”

“Everybody’s a professional, and it’s their personal thing. I love them both. I know Ben better, but working with Jennifer was a dream. She was amazing. And their personal life is their personal life,” he says.