Affleck is also set to direct the film, which Damon departed due to shooting conflicts with Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey. Oscar-nominated screenwriter Billy Ray (Captain Phillips, Richard Jewell) will co-write the screenplay with Connor McIntyre.

Feb. 6 (UPI) -- Oscar-winner Ben Affleck is set to star in as well as direct the new Netflix movie, Animals. He will also produce the film alongside his frequent collaborator Matt Damon, the streaming service announced Thursday. The X Files and The Crown alum Gillian Anderson has signed on to co-star.

Ben Affleck is set to star in the next directorial project from — Ben Affleck. The Argo filmmaker-star will now play the lead role in Animals, the Netflix thriller he was already set to direct, Entertainment Weekly has learned.

Ben Affleck is moving forward without Matt Damon for his next project, Animals. The film, a Netflix exclusive, is a thriller hinging on a pivotal kidnapping. Who gets kidnapped and when? It won't be Matt Damon,

Ben Affleck makes a change to the casting list of Netflix project Animals. By the way, if you are wondering if Nolan is trying his hand at the Homer tale, he is. There is no borro

Ben Affleck is set to star in his upcoming Netflix thriller “Animals,” which he’s also directing. His longtime friend Matt Damon was originally slated to lead the film but had to depart due to scheduling conflicts with Christopher Nolan’s upcoming epic “The Odyssey.