Ben Affleck to Replace Matt Damon in Netflix's "Animals," Gillian Anderson Joins Cast

Ben Affleck is set to star in his upcoming Netflix thriller “Animals,” which he’s also directing. His longtime friend and collaborator Matt Damon was originally slated to lead the movie but had to depart due to scheduling conflicts with Christopher Nolan’s upcoming epic “The Odyssey.”

“Animals” aims to begin production in Los Angeles this April, while “The Odyssey” is expected to shoot in various global locations later in February.

Billy Ray, the Oscar-winning screenwriter of “Captain Phillips,” “The Hunger Games” and AMC Theatres’ iconic Nicole Kidman ad, is penning the screenplay with Connor McIntyre. The crime thriller reportedly follows a mayoral candidate whose child is kidnapped.

Though Damon won’t appear in “Animals,” he’s remaining on the project as a producer with Affleck through their company Artists Equity, along with executive Dani Bernfeld. 

Additional producers are Brad Weston and Collin Creighton of MakeReady, who developed the project in partnership with Fifth Season. Artists Equity’s Michael Joe, Kevin Halloran, and Lucy Damon will serve as executive producers.

Affleck is the Oscar-winning filmmaker of the political thriller “Argo,” crime drama “The Town” and the sports comedy “Air,” all of which he’s pulled off double duty as an actor and director. 

Anderson, best known for starring in “The X-Files” as FBI agent Dana Scully, has recently worked with Netflix on “The Crown,” in which she portrayed Margaret Thatcher and “Sex Education.” 

Additional casting for “Animals” will be announced in the coming weeks, though it’s probably safe to assume that Damon’s “Odyssey” co-stars won’t be on the call sheet, either.