Ben Affleck is set to star in and direct Animals, a crime thriller he is reviving after a previous iteration stalled. Originally intended to star Matt Damon, with Affleck directing, the project from Artists Equity and Netflix fell apart last year due to screenplay issues. Those issues have been resolved, but Damon has moved on to Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, which begins filming this month. Gillian Anderson, known for The X-Files and The Crown, has also joined the cast. Production is expected to begin in Los Angeles this April.

The film, with a Connor McIntyre screenplay with Billy Ray's revisions, centers on the kidnapping of a mayor candidate's son. Facing many political enemies and other foes, the couple is forced to take matters into their own hands to rescue their child.

Affleck is also producing the film with his Artists Equity partner Damon, alongside Dani Bernfeld. Collin Creighton and Brad Weston are producing it through their label MakeReady, with Fifth Season, formerly Endeavor Content, also producing, having developed the project with MakeReady.

Affleck has a history of successfully directing and starring in the same film, including The Town, Argo, Live by Night, and Air. Anderson's upcoming projects include Tron: Ares, which is set for an October 10 release in theatres, and the Netflix Western series The Abandons from Kurt Sutter.