Ben Affleck’s ‘Animals’ Has A Teaser, Sets October Release for Netflix

I was wondering about this one.

Following “Air,” Ben Affleck has decided that his next directorial effort will be “Animals.” Affleck has cast himself in the lead role, alongside Kerry Washington, Steven Yeun, and Gillian Anderson (“The X-Files”). Netflix has dated the film for an October 9 release. It will play “select theaters” a week before.

A teaser has been released for the film. It’s entirely dialogue-free, featuring only music and the persistent buzz of a vibrating phone.

This one seems to be skipping the festival circuit, which might indicate that Netflix doesn’t see Affleck’s film as an awards contender. Unless, of course, it shows up at Telluride, which announces its lineup only a day before screenings begin.

Connor McIntyre wrote the script, with revisions by the always-reliable Billy Ray. The story will tackle an L.A. mayoral candidate (Affleck) and his wife (Anderson) whose son gets kidnapped. With most of their money gone due to campaign spending, they have just a few hours to “get their hands dirty” and come up with the ransom payment.

Although I wouldn’t call myself a fan of his filmography, Affleck in the director’s chair is always an interesting proposition. He’s directed four fairly well-reviewed films (“The Town,” “Gone Baby Gone,” “Air,” and “Argo”), including a Best Picture winner (“Argo”) but also two misfires (“Live by Night,” “The Tender Bar”).

An Affleck-directed film tends to stray far away from IP and lean more into adult-oriented dramas. No point in complaining about that. His films are old-school storytelling. “Animals” seems to be leaning in that direction once again.