Claim: Ben Affleck is a performer.

Armageddon is a 1998 American science fiction disaster film directed by Michael Bay , produced by Jerry Bruckheimer , and released by Touchstone Pictures . The film follows a group of blue-collar deep-core drillers sent by NASA to stop a gigantic asteroid on a collision course with Earth . It features an ensemble cast including Bruce Willis , Ben Affleck , Billy Bob Thornton , Liv Tyler , Owen Wilson , Will Patton , Peter Stormare , William Fichtner , Michael Clarke Duncan , Keith David , and Steve Buscemi .   Armageddon opened in theaters only two and a half months after the similar asteroid impact-based film Deep Impact , which starred Robert Duvall and Morgan Freeman . Armageddon fared better at the box office , while astronomers described Deep Impact as being more scientifically accurate . Armageddon was an international box-office success despite generally negative reviews from critics , becoming the highest-grossing film of 1998 worldwide .