‘Animals’: Ben Affleck Directorial Adds Ray Fisher!!

It’s a Zack Snyder’s Justice League reunion! Variety is reporting that Ray Fisher, best known for his role as Cyborg in the DCEU, has joined the cast of Animals, the upcoming kidnapping thriller that Ben Affleck will star in and direct. Also joining the Animals cast alongside Fisher are Mark Kassen and Christopher Woodley, who join other previously attached names Steven Yeun, Gillian Anderson, and Kerry Washington. Filming on the project recently kicked off in Los Angeles, which is said to be an integral part of the story as it takes place after the tragic fires that ravaged the city at the start of 2025. Connor McIntyre and Billy Ray are writing the script for the film, but it does not yet have an official release date.

Animals has had a few setbacks along the way, and while it looked like for the better part of 2024 that the project was going to be shelved for good, it’s now officially begun filming and will likely be released at the end of this year or early next year. Matt Damon was originally the only one attached to star alongside Affleck in Animals, but it was announced earlier in the year that Damon had departed the project, likely due to his ongoing commitment to filming Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey. Damon is, however, still involved in Animals as an executive producer. Even though he won’t team up with his best friend for the kidnapping thriller, they will be seen together soon in RIP, the upcoming police procedural from writer/director Joe Carnahan that also stars Kyle Chander.

How Many Movies Has Ben Affleck Directed?

Affleck first made his directorial debut nearly 20 years ago on Gone Baby Gone, the 2007 psychological thriller/police procedural that also stars Ed Harris and Michelle Monaghan, and he has since directed four feature films. The first post-Gone Baby Gone movie Affleck helmed was The Town, the classic crime thriller starring Jeremy Renner, and he then moved on to Argo (Bryan Cranston) before helming Live by Night, the 2016 R-rated dark comedy that he also starred in alongside Elle Fanning and Brendan Gleeson. Affleck most recently directed Air, the 2023 basketball docudrama with performances from Damon and Jason Bateman. Affleck will also next star alongside Jon Bernthal in The Accountant 2.