It’s no secret thatMatt DamonandBen Affleckare thick as thieves — the two have starred in several projects together and have even worked together as scribes on movies likeGood Will Hunting. Last year it was announced thatAffleck would directAnimals, a kidnapping thriller for Netflix with Damon attached to star, but the script was never properly ironed out and Nefflix decided to move on from the project for the time being. Now, a new report fromTHRrevealed thatAnimalshas the green light once more, only this time, Affleck will also star in addition to directing, and he has also tappedGillian Andersonto star alongside him. The film is reportedly angling to begin production in April later this year in Los Angeles, but it has not yet nailed down an official release date.
This news comes just a few months before Affleck is set toreprise his role as Christian Wolff inThe Accountant 2, the sequel to the hit 2016 conspiracy thriller that also starsJ.K. SimmonsandAnna Kendrick. There has been no word of Kendrick’s involvement inThe Accountant 2, but Simmons will reprise his role as Ray King alongsideJon Bernthal, who also starred inThe Accountantas Brax. Damon and Affleck also likely aren’t kicking themselves that this project didn’t work out for the two of them;they have already been set to feature together inRIP, the upcoming police procedural/martial arts thriller that also starsKyle Chandler.Joe Carnahanhas been tapped to directRIP, and he’ll also write the script along withMichael McGrale.
Matt Damon Is Busy With the Project of a Lifetime
More likely than not, the reason Damon is unable to star inAnimalsis due to his prior commitment to headlineThe Odyssey, the next film fromChristopher Nolanthat also starsTom Holland,Charlize Theron,Lupita Nyong’o, and more.The Odysseyis due tobegin filming later this monthand shoot around the world, which would certainly cause some scheduling issues forAnimals, which is scheduled to kick off production in LA this April.Damon was the first name attached to star inThe Odyssey, and after featuring in a supporting role inOppenheimerfor Nolan, this could be his chance to step into the spotlight asCillian Murphydid with the 2023 biographical epic.
Animalswill begin filming in just a few months but does not have an official release date or window. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates on the project.
The Odyssey
