Ben Affleck
is set to embark on his next directorial project soon, doing double duty by starring in the film as well. An exclusive new report from Deadline reveals that his long-in-development Netflix thriller Animals is set to begin production soon, with Los Angeles set to serve as the location for filming as soon as the rest of the cast for the movie is rounded out. Affleck originally intended for his long-time collaborator Matt Damon to star in the project, but the constant moving of dates no longer makes the actor a viable option. Instead, Affleck has found his Matt Damon replacement… in himself.
Aside from Affleck’s starring role in Animals alongside his directing duties, Deadline has also reported that Gillian Anderson has joined the project as well. However, the capacity of her role is yet unknown. Animals will be based on a script written by Connor McIntyre and Billy Ray, with the latter having writing credits such as Captain Phillips, The Hunger Games, and Terminator: Dark Fate. Plot details are currently being kept under wraps.
Affleck is seemingly intent on playing the lead role in the movie to help pre-production move along faster. Prior to numerous delays due to rights issues, Affleck was content with only being in the role of director. The former Batman actor is no stranger to playing different roles in a production, as he has directed and starred in films such as The Town, Argo, Live By Night, and most recently, Air. Of the four mentioned, only Live By Night suffered poor critical reception, proving Affleck a more than capable director.
Ben Affleck and Netflix Have Plenty of Projects to Look Forward to Together
The production company and creative studio Artists Equity will be responsible for the production of Animals, and this isn’t the only film currently being worked on that will also be distributed by Netflix. While Animals has no release date, the Netflix Original film RIP (also produced by Artists Equity) will drop on the streaming platform in Fall 2025. The movie, which Joe Carnahan directed, reunites Matt Damon and Ben Affleck as two cops part of a team that stumbles upon a massive seizure of drug money, leading to inner conflict and trust issues with their fellow officers.
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Matt Damon’s absence from Animals can likely be attributed to his role in Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of The Odyssey, which will begin filming soon and is due for release in 2026. With Animals set to start filming in the Spring and more than likely eyeing a 2026 release date as well, it’s unsurprising that Damon had to drop out.
The silver lining to Damon’s departure from Animals is seeing Affleck in a starring role in a project that he’s directing. Affleck is an incredibly talented filmmaker, and when adding the fact that Gillian Anderson is set to play a role in the film as well, it’s hard to imagine the upcoming Netflix thriller being anything less than a quality film. Besides Animals and RIP, Affleck has The Accountant 2 due for release later this year.