After the crime thriller Animals was shelved last year, Ben Affleck has successfully revived his directorial, and who better to star in it than himself. While Matt Damon was set to take the lead role last year, it was announced that Damon and Affleck would put Animals on hold due to issues with the production. It was further delayed by Affleck’s commitments with The Accountant 2, and Damon dropping from the lead role due to a recent signing with Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey.
ALSO READ | Christopher Nolan's next to feature Matt Damon; set for IMAX relese on July 17, 202...
Now, alongside Affleck, British actress Gillian Anderson has also joined the cast. Anderson is best known for her role as Dana Scully in The X-Files. In addition, she has also starred in Netflix series Sex Education, crime show The Fall, and also portrayed Margaret Thatcher in The Crown.
Animals will follow the story of Milo Bradford, an L.A. mayoral candidate, and his wife who take extreme measures to pay their kidnapped son’s ransom. The film, with the script written by Connor McIntyre and Billy Ray, will begin shooting in Los Angeles soon. The kidnapping thriller will be produced by Affleck, Damon, and Dani Bernfeld under their Artists Equity production banner.
Damon and Affleck have another release lined up for the year. The duo will produce and star in the upcoming Netflix film RIP. Though the exact release date has not been announced, the streaming platform has revealed that the crime thriller, directed by Joe Carnahan, will be released during the fall season.
From being childhood best friends to winning Oscars, Damon and Affleck are one of the most successful duos in Hollywood at the moment. They gained recognition when they won the Academy Award for Best Screenplay in 1997 for Good Will Hunting, which they also starred in.
After their production company Pearl Street Films dissolved, the pair set up an independent film company, Artists Equity, founded in 2022. RIP and Animals will mark their second and third collaboration respectively under the Artist Equity banner after the critically acclaimed film Air.
