Ben Affleck is once again returning both in front of and behind the camera with Netflix’s Animal, the trailer for which has just been released. Widely revered as a master filmmaker, Ben Affleck has earned his standing in modern cinema by crafting grounded, tightly paced thrillers and deeply human dramas that seamlessly blend classical Hollywood storytelling with sharp, uncompromising realism. That brilliance was evident in his first directorial venture, Gone Baby Gone, and his subsequent projects like The Town and his Oscar-winning film Argo.

Now, he is doing another thriller with a lot at stake as he explores his way through a mayoral campaign while fighting the greatest battle as a parent.

A fresh trailer from Netflix offers an extended look at Ben Affleck's upcoming feature, Animals,. He plays Mark Kimball, a Los Angeles mayoral candidate whose high-stakes campaign unravels after his son is abducted. The trailer in itself reveals little from the movie, with the characters shown speaking close to nothing, apart from a fleeting clip of Affleck shouting into a phone speaker, muted. The visuals, however, leave no tension to the imagination.

Affleck co-wrote the screenplay alongside Connor O. McIntyre and Billy Ray. In addition to directing and starring in the project, Affleck shares the screen with Kerry Washington as his on-screen wife, Abigail. The stacked ensemble cast also features Gillian Anderson, Adriana Paz, Ray Fisher, Christopher Woodley, Matt Gerald, Jacob Estrada, Luis Gerardo Méndez, and Steven Yeun.

According to the official logline, the narrative kicks into gear when a Los Angeles mayoral candidate and his spouse are pulled into a web of deceit following their son's abduction. Desperately racing to pull together the ransom money, the couple faces impossible choices and unearths buried secrets capable of destroying everything they have built, which the trailer deftly alludes to.

Ben Affleck Steals Cash in His New Thriller ‘Aniamals’ Over Desperate Attempt to Save His Kid, and Fans Are Already Sat

Ben Affleck, who is currently doing press interviews and media appearances to promote the film, revealed some juicy tidbits about the project.

Per a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly dated September 14, Ben Affleck revealed that Netflix’s Animals initially looked quite different, with longtime collaborator Matt Damon slated to star as Mark and his ex-wife Jennifer Garner lined up for the role of Abigail. However, production plans came to a sudden halt two weeks before cameras were set to roll after Affleck discovered that Spike Lee and Denzel Washington were developing Highest 2 Lowest, a film dealing with similar kidnapping themes.

When production eventually restarted, scheduling conflicts forced Damon to exit the project to star in The Odyssey, paving the way for Affleck to take on the lead role himself. Following the casting shift, Affleck and Garner mutually agreed that she should step away from the project to avoid unwanted public scrutiny. Garner noted that sharing the screen under those circumstances would inevitably invite unnecessary personal baggage.

Ben Affleck Made Less Than $1 Million for ‘The Town,’ Reveals Matt Damon in Resurfaced Interview

Did you like the trailer for Netflix’s Animals? Do let us know in the comments.