Ben Affleck to Direct his best friend Matt Damon once again for Netflix's 'Animals'

by Darian Scalamoni

    If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Ben Affleck and Matt Damon have been a force in Hollywood since their debut feature Good Will Hunting netted them their first Academy Award in 1998. They recently reunited on 2023's Air, Affleck's first project in which he's directed Damon. Now, they're working together yet again, this time, over at Netflix. 

    Deadline reports that Damon (Oppenheimer) will star in Animals, a film that will be directed by Affleck (Argo) with the screenplay coming from Connor McIntyre, a first-time feature writer as revisions came from Oscar-nominated writer Billy Ray (Captain Phillips). This will be the next project in the pipeline for Affleck and Damon's formed Artists Equity production banner, after Air grossed $90 million worldwide. 

    Their imprint is already changing the game in Hollywood with three high-profile projects lined up for 2024. The Instigators, a crime film that stars Casey Affleck, Paul Water Hauser, Hong Chau and Damon is my most anticipated film of the year, in addition to other projects such as Unstoppable which boasts an impressive ensemble in its own right with Jennifer Lopez, Jharrel Jerome, Michael Pena, Don Cheadle and Bobby Cannavale. Small Things Like These is also a smaller Irish drama which is led by Cillian Murphy, who may be coming off a Best Actor Oscar for Oppenheimer by the time it releases worldwide. 

    Current plot details for Animals are under wraps, but Deadline hears that it is supposed to revolve around a kidnapping and will be a thriller. Could this possibly be Matt Damon's Prisoners? His schedule is jam packed with eclectic projects across the movie landscape, starting first with a supporting role in Ethan Coen's Drive-Away Dolls in February. Following that, Damon will have a voice role in John Krasinski's IF in May.

    Affleck is expected to eventually shoot the sequel to 2016's The Accountant later this year, however, wanted to direct another film before jumping back in front of the camera. Netflix eagerly jumped at the chance to work with the Oscar-winning multihyphenate as he was weighing different directing options before settling on this new movie.