Ben Affleck, Gillian Anderson team up for new thriller “Animals”

Ben Affleck’s crime thriller Animals is back on track, with the filmmaker not only directing but stepping into the lead role himself.

Originally set to star Matt Damon, Animals faced setbacks a year ago due to script challenges when it was under the banner of Netflix and Artists Equity. In the interim, Damon committed to The Odyssey, a high-profile project helmed by Christopher Nolan, which begins filming globally later this month. With Damon out, Affleck is taking the reins both behind and in front of the camera.

The revived project also welcomes Gillian Anderson, best known for The X-Files and her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher in The Crown, to the ensemble cast. Production remains set for Los Angeles, with cameras expected to roll in April.

Penned by Connor McIntyre and revised by Billy Ray, Animals centers on a mayoral candidate and his wife, whose son is abducted. As political and personal adversaries close in, the desperate couple must go to extreme lengths to bring their child home.

Affleck and Damon will produce through their Artists Equity label, joined by Dani Bernfeld. Brad Weston and Collin Creighton of MakeReady are also producing, alongside Fifth Season, the production and distribution entity formerly known as Endeavor Content, which helped develop the project in collaboration with MakeReady. Executive producers include Artists Equity’s Michael Joe, Kevin Halloran, and Lucy Damon, along with Fifth Season.

Affleck is no stranger to directing and starring in the same project, having successfully done so with The Town and Argo, the latter securing the Oscar for Best Picture in 2013. He last directed Air in 2023, where he played a supporting role opposite Damon. He is represented by WME and Ziffren Brittenham.

Meanwhile, Anderson has a busy slate, appearing in Tron: Ares, set for release on October 10, and The Abandons, a Netflix Western series created by Kurt Sutter. She is represented by UTA and Independent Talent Group.

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