Ben Affleck's crime thriller ‘Animals’ is set to be rejuvenated with Affleck now taking a starring role alongside directing. Initially, Matt Damon was slated to lead under Affleck’s direction when Netflix and Artists Equity were producing. However, the film hit a snag due to script issues that have now been rectified.

In the interim, Damon committed to ‘The Odyssey,’ a juggernaut film directed by Christopher Nolan slated for a 2026 release. ‘The Odyssey’ is scheduled to start its principal photography later this month.

Gillian Anderson, known for her role as Margaret Thatcher in Netflix's ‘The Crown’ and her long-standing tenure on ‘The X-Files,’ is now set to join the project.

The storyline, penned by Connor McIntyre and revised by Billy Ray, follows a mayoral candidate and his wife as they grapple with their son’s kidnapping. Surrounded by enemies both in politics and elsewhere, they are forced to take matters into their own hands to retrieve their son.

Production plans include a shoot in Los Angeles starting in April. Producing duties are shared by Affleck and Damon through their Artists Equity, with additional production by Dani Bernfeld, Brad Weston, and Collin Creighton via their MakeReady banner, and Fifth Season, previously known as Endeavor Content, which developed the project with MakeReady.

Executive production credits include Michael Joe, Kevin Halloran, and Lucy Damon from Artists Equity, alongside Fifth Season.

Affleck is no stranger to both directing and acting in his projects, with notable works including ‘The Town’ and ‘Argo,’ which clinched an Oscar for Best Picture in 2013. Affleck recently directed ‘Air’ in 2023, also appearing in a supporting role.

Anderson is slated to appear in ‘Tron: Ares’ which releases on October 10, and in the upcoming Kurt Sutter Western series ‘The Abandons’ on Netflix.

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