February 11, 2025: Actors Kerry Washington and Steven Yeun have been cast in Ben Affleck’s upcoming directorial project, a kidnapping thriller titled Animals. The film, which also stars Affleck in the lead role, will see Washington portraying the wife of a mayoral candidate, played by Affleck, whose son is kidnapped. The movie, a gripping crime thriller, explores the lengths the couple will go to in order to rescue their son, surrounded by enemies both political and personal. Gillian Anderson also joins the cast in the role of a fixer, while Steven Yeun plays the candidate’s campaign manager.
The screenplay for Animals is written by Connor McIntyre, with revisions by Billy Ray. The story centers around the political and personal challenges the couple faces as they are forced to take matters into their own hands to save their child. The film is set against the backdrop of Los Angeles, where the shooting for Animals will take place.
Affleck, known for his successful career both in front of and behind the camera, is producing the film alongside Matt Damon through their company Artists Equity, with Dani Bernfeld from the same company also serving as a producer. Brad Weston and Collin Creighton are producing via their MakeReady banner, with The Fifth Season involved in the production as well. The company developed the project in collaboration with MakeReady, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Executive producers on the film will include Michael Joe, Kevin Halloran, and Lucy Damon from Artists Equity, along with Fifth Season, according to reports.
Kerry Washington, known for her standout roles in projects like Scandal and The Six Triple Eight, where she starred in Tyler Perry’s World War II drama, recently garnered major success with Netflix, with the film receiving 52.4 million views in its first four weeks. Washington will also be seen in the third installment of Rian Johnson’s Knives Out mystery series, titled Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery.
Steven Yeun, who gained recognition for his role as Glenn Rhee in The Walking Dead, earned critical acclaim in films like Burning and Minari. Yeun will next star in Bong Joon-ho’s upcoming science fiction black comedy, Mickey 17, based on the 2022 novel Mickey7 by Edward Ashton.
With an impressive cast and a captivating storyline, Animals is expected to be a thrilling and intense ride, exploring themes of politics, family, and survival in the face of danger.