Ben Affleck is pulling off a rare Hollywood hat-trick — and the internet is already paying attention. Netflix has just released the first trailer for Animals, the gripping crime thriller in which Affleck writes, directs, and stars, marking one of the most anticipated releases on the streamer's autumn slate.
The Story: A Perfect Life Torn Apart
In Animals, Los Angeles mayoral candidate Mark Kimball receives an ominous phone call, and from that moment on, he and his wife Abigail scramble to respond to a threat that could upend their carefully constructed life. When their son is kidnapped, the couple find themselves drawn into a web of deception — and as they scramble to raise the ransom payment, they are forced to make choices, and reveal secrets, that could tear their world apart.
Netflix's teaser plays things close to the vest — a string of tense, quick-cut scenes with no dialogue, giving away mood over plot. It is, in other words, exactly the kind of restrained, atmospheric tease that suggests a filmmaker confident in what he has made.
A Star-Studded Ensemble
Affleck and Kerry Washington lead an ensemble that includes Gillian Anderson, Steven Yeun, Adriana Paz, Luis Gerardo Méndez, Ray Fisher, Christopher Woodley, Matt Gerald, and Jacob Estrada. Anderson plays a character named Dayle, and based on source material, she enters the story as a fixer — adding another layer of moral complexity to an already murky world. Steven Yeun appears as Sam, the campaign manager hovering close to the chaos.
"When their son is kidnapped, a Los Angeles mayoral candidate and his wife find themselves drawn into a web of deception. As they scramble to raise the ransom payment, they're forced to make choices — and reveal secrets — that could tear their world apart." — Official Netflix synopsis
The Behind-the-Scenes Twist You May Have Missed
The road to Animals was anything but straightforward. Originally, Affleck was set only to co-write and direct, with Matt Damon in the lead role — but when Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey came calling, Damon couldn't resist, and Affleck stepped in as his replacement. At one point, Jennifer Garner — Affleck's real-life ex-wife — was also in talks to take on the role that ultimately went to Kerry Washington.
As it stands, Affleck is pulling triple duty: starring, directing, and co-writing the screenplay. He wrote the script alongside Connor O. McIntyre and Billy Ray. The film is based on a buzzy Black List script by McIntyre, subsequently rewritten by Ray and Affleck.
Production took place in and around Los Angeles, with the city serving as more than just a backdrop — Affleck and his producing team framed the shoot as part of a broader push to keep production jobs local and reinforce LA's standing as a filmmaking hub.
Affleck's Big Netflix Moment
Hot on the heels of his smash-hit action-thriller The Rip, Affleck is back in the director's chair for his second major Netflix feature of 2026: Animals. The film is produced in partnership with Artists Equity, the artist-led studio founded by Affleck, Matt Damon, and Gerry Cardinale of RedBird Capital, with Affleck, Damon, and Dani Bernfeld producing alongside Brad Weston and Collin Creighton of Makeready.
"Ben Affleck is pulling triple duty on this one. Not only is he starring and directing, but he also co-wrote the screenplay." — What's on Netflix
Animals marks Affleck's first directorial venture since 2023's Air. Over the more than 30 years of his Hollywood career, the star has won an Academy Award for co-writing Good Will Hunting and most famously directed the Best Picture–winning historical thriller Argo.
If the trailer's reception is anything to go by, the two-time Oscar winner may well be about to remind everyone exactly why they rate him so highly behind the camera.
Animals is set to premiere in select theatres and globally on Netflix on 9th October 2026.
