Ben Affleck is set to star and direct his upcoming Netflix thriller “Animals”, with Matt Damon initially attached but departing due to scheduling conflicts with Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey”. The crime thriller follows a mayoral candidate whose child is kidnapped, with Billy Ray penning the screenplay alongside Connor McIntyre. Production is slated for Los Angeles in April.
Affleck has successfully juggling acting and directing duties on films like “Argo”, “The Town”, and “Air”, following his recent work on Netflix’s “The Crown” and TV series “Sex Education”. Damon will remain on the project as a producer, while additional producers include Brad Weston and Collin Creighton of MakeReady. Further casting announcements are expected in the coming weeks.
Source: https://variety.com/2025/film/news/ben-affleck-replacing-matt-damon-netflix-thriller-animals-1236298290