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Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb

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Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb is a 2014 American epic adventure comedy film directed by Shawn Levy. It is a sequel to both Night at the Museum and Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian . It premiered on December 19, 2014. It is the third installment of the film franchise. Its narrator is the score by Alan Silvestri whose prologue is The Ahkmenrah Expedition and whose epilogue is Laaa Love, A Farewell Kiss and Teddy's Goodbye.

• 4.1 Filming
• 8 References

Synopsis [ ]

Larry and museum exhibits including Pharaoh Ahkmenrah (Rami Malek), Teddy Roosevelt (the late Robin Williams), Attila the Hun (Patrick Gallagher), Sacajawea (Mizuo Peck), Roman centurion Octavius (Steve Coogan) and Jedediah (Owen Wilson) wind up at the British Museum's famed Egyptian wing to solve the deadly mystery.

In 1938 Egypt, a team of archaeologists discover the tomb of Pharaoh Ahkmenrah, including a young Cecil Fredericks , finding the magical Tablet of Ahkmenrah . The locals warn the group that removing the tablet will end its magic.

In present day New York City, Larry Daley remains the night guard of the Museum of Natural History . He and the exhibits, brought to life each night by the tablet, help re-open the Hayden Planetarium . A new wax Neanderthal resembling Larry named Laaa is introduced, identifying Larry as his father. Ahkmenrah shows Larry that the tablet is corroding, which later causes the exhibits to act erratically, causing mayhem at the planetarium’s reopening. Larry catches his son Nicholas Daley throwing a house party, who plans on taking a gap year to sort out his life.

Larry reunites with Cecil, now in retirement, who realises the end of the tablet’s magic will cause the exhibits to become lifeless. Cecil explains Ahkmenrah's parents, Merenkahre and Shepseheret , may be able to restore the tablet’s power, but are located in the British Museum. Larry convinces the museum’s curator, Dr. McPhee , to let him ship Ahkmenrah to London to restore the tablet, convinced that Dr. McPhee knows its secrets. Larry and Nick travel to the British Museum, bypassing the night guard Tilly . To Larry’s surprise, Theodore Roosevelt , Sacagawea , Ahkmenrah, Jedediah , Octavius , Dexter , and Laaa have come as well. Laaa is left to stand guard while the others search the museum, the tablet bringing its exhibits to life.

They are joined by a wax Sir Lancelot who helps them fight off the aggressive museum exhibits like a Xiangliu statue and a Triceratops skeleton. Jedediah and Octavius fall through a ventilation shaft, but are rescued from a Pompeii model by Dexter. The group find Ahkmenrah parents, learning the Tablet of Ahkmenrah ’s power can be regenerated by moonlight, since it is empowered with the magic of Khonsu. Sir Lancelot mistakes the tablet for the Holy Grail and steals it, leaving to find Camelot. Larry and Laaa are locked in the employee break room by Tilly but escape, Laaa remaining behind to distract Tilly, but they become attracted to each other.

Lancelot crashes a performance of the Camelot musical, starring Hugh Jackman and Alice Eve as King Arthur and Queen Guinevere, but Larry and the others chase him to the theatre roof, where the New York exhibits begin to die. Lancelot then sees that the quest was about them and gives the Tablet of Ahkmenrah back. The moonlight restores the tablet’s power, saving the exhibits. They decide that Ahkmenrah and the Tablet should stay with his parents, even if it means the New York exhibits will no longer come to life. Back in New York, Larry spends some final moments with his friends before sunrise.

Three years later, Larry now works as a teacher, and a travelling British Museum exhibit comes to New York. Tilly becomes the new night guard, and gives the Tablet of Ahkmenrah to Dr. McPhee, showing him its power, and allowing the exhibits to awaken again. Ahkmenrah was there as well because either he came back to visit the Museum of Natural History one last time and then go back to the one in London afterwards or his Egypt room was upgraded and changed to make room for Shapsheret and Makenkere's tombs as well. Outside, Larry watches them party inside.

• Stiller also plays Laaa  (one of the two deuteragonists)
• Williams does the voice of Garuda
• Owen Wilson as Jedediah  (the tritagonist)
• Steve Coogan as Octavius  (the tetartagonist)
• Ricky Gervais as Dr. McPhee  (a major character)
• Dan Stevens as Sir Lancelot  (the main antagonist)
• Rebel Wilson as Tilly  (a major character)
• Skyler Gisondo as Nick Daley  (a major character)
• Rami Malek as Ahkmenrah  (a major character)
• Patrick Gallagher as Attila the Hun  (a major character)
• Mizuo Peck as Sacagawea  (a major character)
• Ben Kingsley as Merenkahre  (a major character)
• Anjali Jay as  Shepseheret  (a supporting character)
• Dick Van Dyke as Cecil Fredericks
• Mickey Rooney as Gus
• Bill Cobbs as Reginald
• Percy Hynes White as young Cecil "C.J" Fredericks
• Brennan Elliott as Robert Fredericks
• Matt Frewer as Archibald Stanley
• Andrea Martin as Rose
• Louriza Tronco as Andrea
• Brad Garrett as Easter Island Head (voice)
• Regina Taufen as New York Reporter (voice)
• Hugh Jackman as Himself (uncredited)
• Alice Eve as Herself (uncredited)

Production [ ]

Ben Stiller admitted that a sequel was "a possibility" and on January 22, 2010, co-writer Thomas Lennon said to Access Hollywood, "That after the success of two Night at the Museum films, it's no surprise that 20th Century Fox is looking to develop a third and that those suspicions are indeed true and how could you not? I think it's a really outstanding idea to do 'Night at the Museum 3,' in fact," he said. "I wonder if someone's not even already working on a script for that," he added with a raised eyebrow. "I cannot confirm that for a fact, but I cannot deny it for a fact either... It might be in the works." In an interview, Stiller confirmed the sequel, however, he said that it was only in the "ideas stage". [1]

It was announced in February 2013 that the sequel, directed by Shawn Levy, would be released on December 25, 2014. [2] On September 10, 2013, it was announced that shooting would start February 2014. [3] On November 8, 2013, English actor Dan Stevens was cast as Lancelot. [4] On November 15, Skyler Gisondo will be replacing Jake Cherry for the role of Nick Daley. [5] On December 18, 2013 it was announced that Robin Williams, Stiller, and Ricky Gervais will be returning for the sequel. [6] On January 9, it was announced that Rebel Wilson will play a security guard in the British Museum. [7] On January 14, the airdate has moved up to December 19, 2014. [8] On January 23, Ben Kingsley is announced as an Egyption Pharoah at the British Museum. [9] On May 6th, the title is confirmed as Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb .

Filming [ ]

Principal photography started in January and ended in May.

Prior to the film's release Pocket Gems, Inc released an android and iPhone app titled Night at the Museum: Hidden Treasures which allows the player to move around various rooms of a museum discovering hidden objects.

Gallery [ ]

• Final live-action Night at the Museum film.
• Final Night at the Museum film released under 20th Century Fox following Disney's acquisition of the studio.
• Final involvements of Mickey Rooney and Robin Williams before their deaths in 2014.

References [ ]

• 1 Ahkmenrah
• 3 Kahmunrah

Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (2014)

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Robin Williams Lends Night At the Museum: Secret Of the Tomb More Emotion Than It Deserves

The Night at the Museum series hasn’t exactly been anybody’s idea of great cinema – or even okay cinema. None of these films has a particularly well-conceived plot, or emotional through-line. They’re mainly excuses to showcase characters from different periods in history coming to life, often through the magic of CGI – a pleasant diversion for kids, an inoffensive babysitter for the parents. But director Shawn Levy, at least in the previous two films, seemed like he could handle neither the big setpieces nor the more intimate moments: he trampled on quiet scenes and drained big ones of their energy.

All that said, this latest, and presumably final, entry in the series is not without its virtues. This time around, the modesty helps. The idea is that the magic Tablet of Akhmenrah, the Egyptian artifact that brings the Museum of Natural History’s various exhibits to life, is starting to corrode, and its power withering away. That means that the various characters that our hero Larry Daley (Ben Stiller) has befriended over the years – Teddy Roosevelt (the late Robin Williams), Egyptian pharaoh Akhmenrah (Rami Malek), miniature cowboy Jedediah (Owen Wilson) and his Roman general friend Octavius (Steve Coogan), among others – are all in danger of turning back to their stiff, lifeless, wax/bronze/stone/porcelain selves. That necessitates a trip to the British Museum, where the rest of Akhmenrah’s family can be found (including Ben Kingsley as his father, which means that Kingsley is currently in theaters playing an Egyptian pharaoh in this movie and one of their Jewish slaves in Exodus .

It’s a pageant: Rebel Wilson shows up (endearingly) as a British museum security guard, and our heroes even have a rather self-important Sir Lancelot (Dan Stevens) to deal with. The gags this time feel somehow both more throwaway and more inventive. At one point, Larry and Teddy Roosevelt jump into an M.C. Escher woodcut, and have to navigate its twisted sense of space as they struggle to retrieve the tablet; the result is like an A-Ha video on mushrooms. Meanwhile, Jedediah and Octavius find themselves in an interactive diorama of Pompeii, outrunning a sea of lava, when Dexter the capuchin monkey shows up, lumbering among the smoke like Godzilla. There’s a pretty hilarious bit involving Larry and his inarticulate, dim caveman doppelganger Laaah; the credits say Stiller plays both parts, but I spent the entire movie convinced Laaah was being played by a heavily made-up Tom Cruise, and am still not entirely convinced it wasn’t him. Anyway, it’s all dumb, but fun.

It’s also curiously affecting, for perhaps unintentional reasons. Much of the film involves Larry restoring the tablet of Akhmenrah to keep his friends from effectively dying – or at least returning to their previously lifeless selves, a process that begins well before the film’s climax. That establishes a sad urgency throughout, and the fact that the late Robin Williams is but the most prominent member of the supporting cast gives it a kind of weight. This is one of the beloved actor’s absolute final performances; I think he has an indie yet to be properly released, and one last animated role coming up. Playing Teddy Roosevelt in these films was nowhere near a highpoint for Williams, but it did speak to his fondness for these CGI-infused kids’ spectacles. His final farewell here is gentle, reflectively and almost unbearably moving. It lends the the film a retroactive grace.

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Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb

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Watch Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb with a subscription on Disney+, rent on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, or buy on Fandango at Home, Prime Video.

What to Know

While not without its moments, Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb is a less-than-inspired sendoff for the trilogy.

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Ben Stiller

Larry Daley

Robin Williams

Teddy Roosevelt

Owen Wilson

Dan Stevens

Sir Lancelot

Ben Kingsley

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Why Richard Gere Was Banned From The Oscars For 20 Whole Years

10 famous directors who dislike movies that everyone else loves, jason statham's upcoming thriller movie will be his version of denzel washington's $573m franchise.

Night at the Museum  has become one of the bigger live-action family-friendly movie franchises of the last few years, thanks in part to the comedic sensibilities of leading Ben Stiller and the fantastical fun of director Shawn Levy's ( Real Steel ) visual style. Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb   looks like it will continue in that tradition.

This time around, museum guard Larry Daley (Stiller) is on a globe-spanning quest to save the magic source that brought to life the exhibits and characters on display at the museum - including Jedediah (Owen Wilson), Octavius (Steve Coogan), and of course, Teddy Roosevelt (Robin Williams).

With new additions like Dan Stevens as Sir Lancelot and Rebel Wilson as a wisecracking British security guard, Night at the Museum 3 is offering fans a nice mix of something old and new - with some much improved special effects on things like living Dinosaur fossils and statue lions.

Of course, there is the sad footnote that this will also mark one of the last times we get to see Robin Williams perform onscreen - a bittersweet thought to be having while trying to enjoy some movie fun with the family over the holidays.

Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb  will be in theaters on December 19, 2014.

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‘Night At The Museum 3’ Review: Pete Hammond On The Lively ‘Tomb’

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The third Night At The Museum  installment hits theaters this weekend with one of Robin Williams ‘ last performances, plus amusing turns by several series regulars, as I say in my video review above. The cast is led by Ben Stiller as the nightwatchman dealing with lively exhibits at the museum, played by Owen Wilson , Ricky Gervais , Steve Coogan , Rebel Wilson and Ben Kingsley with a terrific performance by  Downton Abbey   alumnus Dan Stevens as a gung-ho knight.

Veteran comedy helmer Shawn Levy directed from a script written by David Guion and Michael Handelman, from a story by the pair and Mark Friedman. Producers are Levy and Chris Columbus . Fox is handling distribution.

Are you going to see the film? Watch my review and let us know.

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Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson and Shawn Levy Talk NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB, How to Do Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson Impressions, and More

Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson and Shawn Levy talk Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb, how to do Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson impressions, and more.

Ever wonder what it feels like for Owen Wilson to play Jedediah, the tiny cowboy from the Wild West Diorama?  I got a brief taste of it at the Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb press day last weekend and it’s awkward to say the least.  In the franchise’s third installment, Larry Daley ( Ben Stiller ) and the gang from the Natural History Museum must travel to London to try to figure out how to fix the tablet that brings the exhibits to life at night before it runs out of power.

With Night at the Museum 3 making its way into theaters on December 19th, I got the opportunity to sit down (or stand in my case) with Wilson, Stiller and director Shawn Levy .   After offering up some advice on how to hold my own at such a tiny size, they busted out some impressions and discussed the surprising  The Cove reference in the film.  Hit the jump to check it out.

Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson & Shawn Levy:

• Owen Wilson’s advice for playing a tiny character.
• On Rebel Wilson and Dan Stevens’ impressions of them.
• Levy’s Owen Wilson impression.
• How to do a Ben Stiller impression.
• The Cove reference in Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb .

Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb Trailer Starring Ben Stiller

Ben Stiller brings his living museum to London hoping to keep them alive in director Shawn Levy's Night at the Museum 3, which debuts its first trailer.

20th Century Fox has launched the first teaser trailer for Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb , which takes Ben Stiller 's night security guard across the pond to keep his living museum friends alive.

Watch the first footage from this anticipated sequel, which brings back all of your old friends, including Robin Williams as Teddy Roosevelt, Owen Wilson as Jedediah and Ricky Gervais Dr. McPhee. Also joing the cast are Rebel Wilson as a London securty guard meeting Larry and his museum pals for the first time, and Dan Stevens as Sir Lancelot. The sequel marks Mickey Rooney 's final film before his passing. We also have the first poster, which brings Dexter the monkey back as Larry's sidekick!

Get ready for the wildest and most adventure-filled Night At the Museum ever as Larry (Ben Stiller) spans the globe, uniting favorite and new characters while embarking on an epic quest to save the magic before it is gone forever.

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A Final Quest for Immortality

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By Nicolas Rapold

• Dec. 18, 2014

“Night at the Museum 3: Secret of the Tomb” signifies closing time for the franchise in which exhibits come alive, and Ben Stiller has to deal with them. The director, Shawn Levy, and the new writers, David Guion and Michael Handelman, throw together enough gags and one-liners to ensure a diverting and, here and there, rather funny journey for the museum stalwart Larry and his menagerie of Teddy Roosevelt, a miniature Roman general, a Neanderthal, a capuchin monkey and others.

Now director of nighttime operations, Larry (Mr. Stiller, near left) must visit a pharaoh (Ben Kingsley!) in the British Museum to learn why Roosevelt and friends went bonkers during a dinner show at the American Museum of Natural History. The problems center on an enchanted Egyptian tablet tied to the animation of the exhibits. The trip introduces new blood to the comedy, chiefly a revived Sir Lancelot (a sharp Dan Stevens, far left) and a gabby British nightwatchwoman (Rebel Wilson), and Larry’s travails with his college-averse son yield lessons about independence.

The premise shares something with durable silent-era slapstick yarns, even if the material underserves Mr. Stiller, Ricky Gervais, Steve Coogan and the other comedians. (As Roosevelt, Robin Williams serves more as a benevolent fatherly presence.) But the writers turn out amusing riffs on how historical figures might react to the present, nice bits of business (like a tumble into an Escher painting) and a passable Passover joke.

It’s a chronically underachieving movie, but relatively amusing in its quaint wish fulfillment.

Rated PG (Parental guidance suggested) for the wild rumpus to be expected from a museum coming alive.

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Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb - Full Cast & Crew

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When Larry finds out that the ancient Egyptian tablet that brings exhibits to life is corroding, he must seek help.

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Night At The Museum: 10 Fun Behind-The-Scenes Facts About The Ben Stiller Movie

Can we get a Jedediah and Octavius Thanksgiving special?

It has been more than 15 years since Ben Stiller and Shawn Levy introduced audiences to the exhibits that magically come to life at New York City’s American Museum of Natural History in the hilarious and star-studded Night at the Museum . The highly successful film would go on to become a popular film franchise that has an uncertain future .

But, before we get too carried away about the subsequent movies, which are some of the best movies on Disney+ as well as great options for your next family movie night, let’s take a trip down memory lane and see how it all started with these 10 fun behind-the-scenes facts that explain how Levy and company captured lightning in a bottle in 2006.

Shawn Levy Passed On Night At The Museum Several Times Before Finally Accepting The Gig

The Night at the Museum franchise has been one of Shawn Levy’s most successful ventures over the years, but the filmmaker behind Free Guy , The Adam Project , and the upcoming third Deadpool movie initially passed on the opportunity to direct the big-budget 2006 family comedy not once, not twice, but five times before finally agreeing to sit in the director’s chair. In a 2014 interview with the Los Angeles Times , Levy revealed that he didn’t pass on the movie because he didn’t like the material, but instead because he was scared of the production’s scale. Levy eventually talked himself into doing it and went on to make a movie that grossed $574.5 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo .

Ben Stiller Sat In With Most Of The Actors During The Audition Process

Although Night at the Museum features outstanding performances by the likes of the late Robin Williams , Owen Wilson , and eventual Oscar winner Rami Malek , at the core of the film is Ben Stiller’s Larry Daley, the night security guard who befriends the brought-to-life museum exhibits. In his commentary track on the film’s home release, Shawn Levy revealed that because the movie relied so heavily on interactions with his character, Stiller participated in most of the auditions for the actors who would eventually be cast in the movie.

Levy explained that this was done to see who had a realistic dynamic and great chemistry with Stiller on set as well as to see if they could pick up on his distinct rhythm and general vibe.

Dick Van Dyke And Mickey Rooney Auditioned For Their Roles

It would be only natural to assume that Dick Van Dyke and the late Mickey Rooney would have been able to walk onto the set of Night at the Museum without even having to try out, but like every other member of the cast, they had to go through the audition process. During the September 2020 Stars In The House Night at the Museum reunion streaming event , Shawn Levy explained that while some actors he’s run into over the years claim to be “offer only,” the two legends of the entertainment world went through the process, even if keeping Rooney in line was difficult to do.

The Night At The Museum Crew Re-Created The American Museum of Natural History On A Vancouver Soundstage

Night at the Museum takes place at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, but only a small portion of the movie (mostly exterior shots to establish the location) was actually filmed in the Big Apple. The vast majority of production took place in Vancouver, British Columbia, where the set designers constructed a massive recreation of the museum on a soundstage that gave them plenty of space to film the extravagant set pieces without worrying about destroying priceless artifacts. During an episode of Comedy Central’s Reel Comedy (which came included with the home video release), Shawn Levy explained that not only was it the biggest set he had worked on, it was the biggest he had ever seen in his career up to that point.

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Owen Wilson And Steve Coogan Became Friends Filming Night At The Museum And Even Spent Thanksgiving Together

The on-screen pairing of Owen Wilson and Steve Coogan as a miniature cowboy named Jedediah and a Roman general named Octavius, respectively, was one of the highlights of Night at the Museum , and the great chemistry didn’t stop once the men playing enemies-turned-friends left the set. 

During the September 2020 Stars In The House Night at the Museum reunion streaming event, the two co-stars talked about how much fun they had together on set and would go out and explore Vancouver when they were shooting. In fact, Coogan revealed that Wilson invited him to come spend the following Thanksgiving with his family in Texas.

The Inclusion Of The Opening Title Sequence Was A Last-Minute Decision

The Night at the Museum opening title sequence helps welcome the audience into the world in which they are about to spend the next two hours with epic displays of the exhibits in their respective areas of the museum, but this wasn’t always how the movie was supposed to open. During his director commentary track, Shawn Levy revealed that the sequence wasn’t added until well into the editing process and was something that came to him in the middle of the night: 

About halfway through the editing process, I woke up and found that if we could open the movie in this way with basically kind of images of the museum, of the world that was going to come to life later on, we might get out of the gate with a bigger sense of scale, a bigger sense of wonderment, and the promise of what’s to come.

After having that thought, Levy spoke with his editor, said they were starting the movie all wrong, and then came up with sequence that opened the final cut of the film.

Mission Impossible Inspired The Ben Stiller Running Scene

There’s a scene in Night at the Museum where Ben Stiller’s character races through the corridors of the building in an attempt to save one of the cavemen who has made his way outside. In his director commentary, Shawn Levy admitted that he and Stiller were both massive fans of Tom Cruise’s running scenes in the first three Mission: Impossible movies, and saw this as a way to pay homage to his work. And, though it’s only a few seconds of running opposed to extended sequences, Levy was proud of his little “family comedy” version of it.

Shawn Levy Was On A Ladder And Chased Ben Stiller During The ‘Rexy’ Scene

The scene in Night at the Museum where Rexy the T-Rex chases Larry Daley through the American Museum of Natural History on his first night on the job is one of the most exciting of the early parts of the film, but Ben Stiller allegedly had trouble getting into the mode on the day it was filmed. During the Stars In The House Night at the Museum reunion streaming event, Shawn Levy broke down the ridiculous way he helped the star get into the zone:

I had like the short-armed talons and literally so it’s Ben at one end of the hall. I’m on a ladder going ‘Rawr,’ and the ladder was on wheels so that these grips could roll me down the corridor so that I could be ‘Rexy’ chasing after Ben Stiller so he wouldn’t have to ‘fake it.’

During the conversation, Stiller explained that this wasn’t an exception on set, as Levy was constantly going above and beyond to give the whole shoot that same kind of energy.

Despite Improvising Their Lines, Ben Stiller And Owen Wilson Were Only On Set Together For One Day

The interactions between Ben Stiller’s Larry Daley and Owen Wilson’s Jedediah in Night of the Museum are some of the best parts of the movie, and they’re even better when you realize that much of the dialogue was completely improvised. Couldn’t get better than that, right? Well, in the director commentary, Shawn Levy revealed that not only were the scenes improvised but they had to come up with an elaborate system to have those conversations work out, because the Zoolander co-stars were only on set together for one day.

In order to complete these scenes, Stiller would act out the scenes holding a toothpick with 20 different versions of a line. Levy would then record those lines and then feed them back to Wilson when he arrived on set several months later. Levy referred to this process as “retroactively improvisational” because they weren’t in the same room or same country.

A Tennis Ball Was Used As A Stand-In For Dexter During The Slap Scene

One of the funniest moments in Night at the Museum comes when Dexter, the stuffed capuchin monkey, and Larry Daley exchange a series of slaps after the monkey steals the night guard’s key ring. But, don’t worry, no monkeys were harmed in this scene, as Shawn Levy revealed in his commentary track. In order to pull this off, Ben Stiller repeatedly slapped a tennis ball that was then replaced with a digital version of Dexter. However, Stiller was actually on the receiving end of some monkey slaps from Crystal, the capuchin trained for the movie.

Well, this certainly makes me want to go back and watch Night at the Museum again. And, who knows, maybe I’ll give the whole franchise another watch and come back with some more behind-the-scenes facts. In the meantime, check out some of the other great Ben Stiller movies .

Philip grew up in Louisiana (not New Orleans) before moving to St. Louis after graduating from Louisiana State University-Shreveport. When he's not writing about movies or television, Philip can be found being chased by his three kids, telling his dogs to stop barking at the mailman, or chatting about professional wrestling to his wife. Writing gigs with school newspapers, multiple daily newspapers, and other varied job experiences led him to this point where he actually gets to write about movies, shows, wrestling, and documentaries (which is a huge win in his eyes). If the stars properly align, he will talk about For Love Of The Game being the best baseball movie of all time.

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Why Ben Affleck Was Not at the 2024 Met Gala With Jennifer Lopez

This is why ben affleck's wife jennifer lopez was left to stun solo at the 2024 met gala on may 6 while serving as one of the co-chairs of fashion's biggest night..

Ben Affleck made quite the appearance on May 5, but the NSFW roast of Tom Brady had nothing to do with why he wasn't Jennifer Lopez 's plus-one at the 2024 Met Gala  on May 6.

The Oscar winner, fresh from tearing anyone who ever hated on the former New England Patriots quarterback a new one, was actually never signed up to accompany his wife to this particular work event.

Affleck remained in L.A., where he's been busy shooting  The Accountant 2 , the sequel to his 2016 action hit, his rep told E! News. He's also been noticeably clean-shaven for the role.

Lopez, meanwhile, went ahead to New York to prepare for her 14th Met Gala appearance and first as one of the event's co-chairs. And she of course had no trouble getting all dressed up on her own for the ethereal-sounding "The Garden of Time" dress code, spun from this year's Costume Institute exhibition, "Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion."

While that name is a nod to reviving pieces of couture that have been fast asleep in the institution's archive, the 54-year-old was still giving happily-ever-after in glittering naked-effect gown by Schiaparelli Haute Couture. ( Swoon over every look on the Met Gala red carpet right here .)

And there was no fashionable lateness on Lopez's part, either, as this year she was a de facto host with Zendaya , Chris Hemsworth , Bad Bunny  and Vogue   editor-in-chief Anna Wintour . 

"When Anna calls you, and asks you to co-host the Met Gala along with her—it's kinda the biggest night in fashion—and to raise money for the museum, it was a real honor," Lopez said in a video posted to Vogue 's Instagram  in April. "It's a nice thing to be a part of."

At the time, she had "a few different sketches" she was mulling for the big night, but admitted she's the type of person who waits till the last minute to decide.

"I like choices," she explained, "and then I go, 'OK,  this is how I feel today and then we try to create some type of amazing look—'cause that is the time for looks!"

Affleck, 51, did attend the Met Gala with Lopez  in September 2021 (usually the first Monday in May, it was delayed due to the pandemic), the couple wearing masks on the red carpet in keeping with the de facto theme of safety first, alongside the actual theme, "In America: A Lexicon of Fashion."

Lopez wore a safari-inspired gown with a plunging neckline by Ralph Lauren and he wore... you know, a tuxedo. She tapped the classic American brand last year, too, when she hit the stairs solo for "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty."

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While she and Affleck don't always attend events like these together, when they do...all eyes are on them. 

So he may have wished he'd been wearing a mask at the 2023 Grammys , when a few photos taken during the ceremony gave off the impression to some people that he wasn't having the best time ever . Asked about it later, the actor noted that he was, in fact, at his "wife's work event ."

But, Affleck clarified to The Hollywood Reporter , "I had a good time at the Grammys. My wife was going, and I thought, 'Well, there'll be good music. It might be fun.' At movie award shows, it's speeches and, like, sound-mixing webinars. But I thought this would be fun."

However, he not only missed his chance to be meme fodder alongside his wife tonight, he missed a meet-up with buddy Matt Damon , who was in attendance with wife Luciana Barroso . (As well as notably missing from  The Greatest Roast of All Time  for his favorite QB.)

Keep reading to see which couples have turned the 2024 Met Gala into a date night:

Barry Keoghan and Sabrina Carpenter

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez

Kelsea Ballerini and Chase Stokes 

Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union 

Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban 

Morgan Spector and Rebecca Hall

Dove Cameron and Damiano David 

Queen Latifah and Eboni Nichols 

Jeremy Strong and Emma Wall 

Kris Jenner and Corey Gamble 

Eddie Redmayne and Hannah Bagshawe

Taika Waititi and Rita Ora 

Matthew Macfadyen and Keeley Hawes 

James Corden and Julia Carey 

Matt Damon and Luciana Barroso Damon

Francesco Carrozzini and Bee Carrozzini

Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky 

Baz Luhrmann and Catherine Martin 

Leonardo MAria Del Vecchio and Jessica Serfaty 

Steve Newhouse and Gina Sanders 

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Sydney Sweeney transforms into gothic princess with black bob at 2024 Met Gala

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Sydney Sweeney’s sartorial hot streak is still going strong.

The “Anyone But You” actress looked as gorgeous as ever on Monday night’s Met Gala 2024 red carpet , but traded her signature blond tresses for a black bob.

She removed a custom Jennifer Behrsheer veil embellished with pearls before walking the steps at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

In a nod to this year’s theme —  “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion” — Sweeney wore a light blue Miu Miu ballgown with floral details paired with long black gloves, serving major gothic princess vibes.

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The “Euphoria” star made her Met Gala debut in 2022, dressed in a white corseted Tory Burch gown with a detachable skirt that made for a dramatic mid-carpet reveal.

And last year, she arrived in an embellished Miu Miu dress punctuated with ladylike black bows.

It’s no surprise that Sweeney received another coveted invite to this year’s Met ball; with the help of stylist Molly Dickson, her outfits make headlines practically every time she leaves the house.

Recent hits include the stunning, sculptural Balmain top she paired with simple black trousers for the LA premiere of her film “Immaculate,” the “My Best Friend’s Wedding”-inspired Miu Miu dress she wore to the 2024 GLAAD Media Awards and the slinky white Marc Bouwer gown she borrowed from Angelina Jolie’s closet for this year’s Vanity Fair Oscar Party.

But despite the fashion-world accolades, Sweeney’s also dealt with her fair share of criticism in recent months — not to mention all those lewd comments about her famous curves .

Last month, film producer and professor Carol Baum slammed “Anyone But You” as “unwatchable,” asking students in her USC class, “She’s not pretty, she can’t act. Why is she so hot?”

Sweeney’s rep swiftly fired back at Baum’s “shameful” comments , while her acting coach defended her “serious” skills .

Amid mounting outrage from Sweeney’s fans , Baum apologized for her remarks — and it would certainly appear as though the “White Lotus” star’s having the last laugh tonight.

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