Everything to know about the Ben Affleck thriller, ‘Animals’
The Rip, which was released under Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s Artists Equity banner earlier this year, is officially the second-most-watched Netflix movie from the first half of 2026. But in the second half, Animals could be getting its ducks in a row to snatch the credit.
The upcoming political crime thriller is next in line from Affleck and Damon’s production company, expected to arrive later this year.
Directed and also co-written by the Gone Girl actor, Connor O McIntyre, and Billy Ray, Animals was originally announced in 2024. Although the film saw a minor halt initially due to scheduling conflicts and also witnessed a swap of faces, it marks Affleck’s fourth major Netflix project.
So, if you’re an Affleck fan, here’s a rundown of everything known so far about Animals, the forthcoming joint venture between Netflix, Artists Equity, Redbird Entertainment, Makeready, and FIFTH SEASON.
What is the plot?
According to the official logline, Animals is a political crime-thriller that centres on a high-society abduction. It follows Los Angeles mayoral candidate Milo Bradford and his wife, whose son’s kidnapping pushes them down a rabbit hole of deception. Having spent all their funds for the big campaign, collecting that lump-sum money the kidnappers demand is not going to be an easy task.
As they go all out to gather the ransom money, they are forced to make difficult choices and expose a dark underbelly of secrets – the ones that could easily upend their carefully built lives once and for all.
Who is in the cast?
Animals stars Ben Affleck as Milo Bradford, Gillian Anderson as Milo’s wife, Christopher Woodley as Milo’s son, and Kerry Washington as the campaign manager. Steven Yeun, Luis Gerardo Mendez, Adriana Paz, Mark Kassen, Ray Fisher, Matt Gerald, George Todd McLachlan and Ethan Nelson appear in the crime thriller in undisclosed roles.
Meanwhile, the star-studded ensemble is complete with Chris Gann as Rand, Taylor Cooper as Hannah, Aleksander Popovic as Jiri, Jacob Estrada as Hector, Rodrigo Rocha as Borne, Don O Knowlton, Xochiti Romero, Kristel Elling, David King, Aisha Graham Perez and Brooke Griego as reporters, Ivan Bernal as Mexican Day Labourer, Andray Johnson as colleague, Lacey Katena and Anthea Phitides as Sorority Girls, Marita Hakala as Mark’s friends.
Is there a trailer?
Unfortunately, Netflix has yet to release first-look photos or a trailer for Animals.
When does Animals hit Netflix shelves?
While Animals is confirmed to arrive in 2026, Netflix hasn’t revealed the release date yet. Stay tuned for more updates!