In 2017, one of the greatest actors of his generation decided to proverbially hang ’em up. Daniel Day-Lewis, fresh off reuniting with There Will Be Blood director Paul Thomas Anderson on the film Phantom Thread, decided that the fashion-centric film would be his last.
It turns out, however, that his retirement was short-lived. Seven years after the release of Phantom Thread, Daniel Day-Lewis is set to return to the big screen – specifically in the upcoming film Anemone, which is being directed by his son, artist Ronan Day-Lewis.
It has been announced that the movie is being produced by Focus Features and Plan B, with Universal Pictures International set to distribute worldwide. What makes Anemone particularly interesting as a project for Daniel Day-Lewis’ unretirement is the meta quality to the story. The father and son wrote the screenplay together, and, according to a press release, it’s about “the intricate relationships between fathers, sons and brothers, and the dynamics of familial bonds.”
It marks the first time that the three-time Oscar winner will receive a screenwriting credit.
In addition to Daniel Day-Lewis, Anemone has also filled out its supporting cast with Sean Bean, Samantha Morton, Samuel Bottomley and Safia Oakley-Green. None of the actors have previously worked with Day-Lewis before, and no details about their specific roles have been revealed.
Anemone will be the first feature that Ronan Day-Lewis has directed, though he does have a pair of shorts on his resume. He is set to collaborate with a number of veteran filmmakers on the film, including Love Lies Bleeding cinematographer Ben Fordesman, The Crown costume designer Jane Petrie, and Zone Of Interest production designer Chris Oddy.
Prior to his temporary retirement, Daniel Day-Lewis earned recognition as one of the most talented big screen performers in the history of the medium. As noted, he won three Academy Awards between 1990 and 2018 – for My Left Foot, There Will Be Blood and Lincoln – but he was also nominated for his turns in 1994’s In The Name Of The Father, 2003’s Gangs Of New York, and 2018’s Phantom Thread (his hope of capping off his career with Hollywood’s highest honor was spoiled by the prize going to Gary Oldman for Darkest Hour).
Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of Anemone will be seeing what kind of material Daniel Day-Lewis the writer provides for Daniel Day-Lewis the actor. Given his collaboration with his son, we can assume that he is going to be crafting something intimate and personal, but what form will that take? Given the man’s immense talent, it’s easy to be optimistic.
While Anemone has clearly made some great strides in pre-production, we unfortunately don’t know when the film is planning to start principal photography, and a release date has not yet been carved out. If the movie is able to start rolling cameras before the end of the year, it’s easy to imagine that the title becomes part of the prestigious festival circuit next year in advance of an award season run.
Stay tuned for more details about Anemone, and check out all of the films set to arrive in the remaining weeks of the year with our 2024 Movie Release Calendar.