Ben Affleck To Direct & Star In Kidnapping Thriller ‘Animals’ For Netflix, Artists Equity, Fifth Season And Makeready; Gillian Anderson Also On Board

Ben Affleck is ramping things up on his upcoming Netflix thriller Animals. He not only will direct the pic but star as well, sources now say. Insiders add that Gillian Anderson also is aboard. The plan is for the film to shoot in Los Angeles from a script by Connor McIntyre and Billy Ray.

Plot details are being kept under wraps other then the film revolving around a kidnapping.

Affleck, Matt Damon and Dani Bernfeld will produce through their Artists Equity banner, the artist-led studio founded by Affleck, Damon and Gerry Cardinale/RedBird Capital Partners. Brad Weston and Collin Creighton are also producing for Makeready, which developed the project in partnership with Fifth Season. Artists Equity’s Michael Joe, Kevin Halloran and Lucy Damon will serve as executive producers alongside Fifth Season.

Affleck was eyeing this film as his next directing outing last year but was only planning to direct, with Damon in line for the starring role. A holdup with the rights delayed start of production, and Affleck ultimately had to move on to a sequel to The Accountant with Animals pushing. Affleck still wanted to make Animals, and after starring alongside Damon in another Netflix and Artists Equity crime thriller RIP, which will bow later this year on the streamer, saw an opportunity to make Animals his next movie.

With Damon now shooting Christopher Nolan’s next movie The Odyssey, Affleck decided the next best option to star was himself, therefore fast-tracking production with a cast expected to be set soon.

As for Anderson, the Emmy winner has strong ties to Netflix with her critically acclaimed series Sex Education recently wrapping its four-season run on the platform.

Affleck is repped by WME and Ziffren Brittenham, and Anderson is repped by UTA in U.S. and Independent Talent in the UK.