Ben Affleckhas replacedMatt Damonin their new Netflix crime thriller. Friends since childhood, Damon and Affleck have collaborated on various projects throughout their careers. Since co-founding their own production company, Artists Equity, in 2022, they have starred alongside each other in 2023’sAir, with Affleck also directing, and have theNetflix crime thrillerRIPreleasing this fall. They have another Netflix crime thriller titledAnimalson the way, which was previously reported to star Damon in the lead role with Affleck directing.
Now, perDeadline,Affleck is replacing Damon in the Netflix crime thrillerAnimals, which he will also direct. Damon had to depart due to scheduling conflicts with Christopher Nolan’sThe Odyssey, though he will remain on board as a producer alongside Affleck through Artists Equity. Additionally, Gillian Anderson, known forThe X-Filesand Netflix’sThe CrownandSex Education, has joined the cast.Animalsis set to start production in Los Angeles this April, whileThe Odysseyis set to start shooting in various international locations in late February.
What Ben Affleck Replacing Matt Damon Means For Animals
Who Is Affleck Playing?
The script forAnimalsis written by Billy Ray and Connor McIntyre, the former being the Oscar-nominated screenwriter behindCaptain Philips,The Hunger Games, and the iconicAMC Theaters: We Make Movies Betterad featuring Nicole Kidman. The crime thriller is said to follow a mayoral candidate whose child is kidnapped. After the casting change,Affleck will seemingly be playing the mayoral candidateinstead of Damon, though it’s possible that Anderson could also be playing that role.
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Affleck originally envisionedAnimalsas his next directorial project, planning to helm with Damon set to star. However, a delay caused by rights issues postponed production, forcing Affleck to shift his focus toThe Accountant 2, withAnimalsbeing pushed back. Determined to bringAnimalsto life, Affleck recognized an opportunity after he and Damon starred together in the Netflix crime thrillerRIP. However, with Damon busy filming Nolan’sThe Odyssey, Affleck decided to take on the starring role himself.
Our Take On Ben Affleck Replacing Matt Damon In Animals
The First Time One Has Replaced The Other
WhileMatt DamonandBen Affleckhave starred alongside each other various times throughout their careers,this is the first publicly known instance where one of them has replaced the other in a project. While it was a decision made out of necessity due to scheduling conflicts, and not creative reasons, it’s still an interesting development nonetheless. How this casting change impactsAnimalswill become clearer as production progresses and more details emerge.
Source:Deadline
Ben Affleck
Discover the latest news and filmography for Ben Affleck, known for Good Will Hunting and Argo.
Matt Damon
Discover the latest news and filmography for Matt Damon, known for Good Will Hunting and The Martian.
