'Animals:' Ben Affleck Will Direct and Star in a New Thriller - Netflix Tudum

  • Deep Dive

    Ben Affleck’s New Kidnapping Thriller, Animals, Is Now in Production

    The upcoming film stars Affleck, Gillian Anderson, Kerry Washington, Steven Yeun, and Ray Fisher.

    By John DiLillo
    March 7, 2025

Fresh off of Joe Carnahan’s upcoming thriller RIP, Ben Affleck is directing and starring in a new kidnapping thriller for Netflix: Animals. Written by Connor McIntyre and Billy Ray, the brand-new film is coming soon to Netflix.    

Also joining the film are a slew of Emmy winners: Gillian Anderson (The Crown, Scoop); Kerry Washington (The Six Triple Eight, the upcoming Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery); and Steven Yeun (BEEF, Minari, the upcoming RIP). The cast also includes Luis Gerardo Méndez (Club de Cuervos, Murder Mystery), Adriana Paz (Emilia Pérez, Spectre), Ray Fisher (Zack Snyder’s Justice League, The Piano Lesson), Mark Kassen (Puncture, the upcoming PH-1), and Christopher Woodley (Our Son, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit). 

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    Man closely examining a large map dotted with red pins in a dimly lit room, appearing focused and thoughtful as he touches the map with his hand.

Affleck is a classic Hollywood jack-of-all-trades; he’s starred in films including Gone Girl and Shakespeare in Love, won an Academy Award for co-writing Good Will Hunting, and successfully pivoted to directing and producing, most famously with his Best Picture–winning historical thriller, Argo

The new film is produced in partnership with Artists Equity, the artist-led studio founded by Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, and Gerry Cardinale of RedBird Capital. It’s produced by Affleck, Damon, and Dani Bernfeld, alongside Brad Weston and Collin Creighton of Makeready, who developed the project in partnership with Fifth Season. 

Has production started on Animals?

Yes! Set to shoot in Los Angeles, the film embraces the city as an integral part of the story. The producers are committed to supporting the local film industry, keeping jobs within the community, and reinforcing LA as a hub for filmmaking.

Stay tuned for more information as Animals production ramps up. 

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