Ben Affleck is adding another Netflix film to his slate, signing on to direct and star in a kidnapping thriller titled Animals.
The film has been in development for some time, with Affleck originally set to direct while Matt Damon was attached to star. Delays in securing the rights pushed production back, and with Damon now committed to Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, Affleck has stepped into the lead role himself to move the project forward.
Joining the cast is Emmy winner Gillian Anderson, who has earned acclaim for recent roles in The Crown and Netflix’s Sex Education, which concluded its four-season run in September 2023. Details about her character and the film’s plot are being kept under wraps. All that’s been made available thus far is that the narrative will focus on a kidnapping.
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The screenplay comes from Connor McIntyre and Billy Ray, the latter of whom earned an Oscar nomination for Captain Phillips and whose credits include Richard Jewell and The Hunger Games.
Affleck and Damon are producing Animals via their artist-led studio, Artists Equity. Dani Bernfeld and RedBird Capital’s Gerry Cardinale are also producing, along with Brad Weston and Collin Creighton of Makeready, which developed the project in partnership with Fifth Season.
Animals, set to begin production soon in Los Angeles, marks yet another Netflix project for Affleck. He recently finished shooting RIP, a crime thriller directed by Joe Carnahan (Narc, Smokin’ Aces) and also starring Damon. That film will be hitting the streamer later this year.
Source: Tudum
