Daniel Day-Lewis comes out of retirement for new movie directed by his son

Daniel Day-Lewis is one of our greatest living actors, and he’s set to return to the big screen seven years after he announced his (second) retirement. He will star in Anemone, a new film from Focus Features and Plan B, which will be the directorial debut of his son, Ronan Day-Lewis.

“We could not be more excited to partner with a brilliant visual artist in Ronan Day-Lewis on his first feature film alongside Daniel Day-Lewis as his creative collaborator,” Focus Features chairman Peter Kujawski said in a statement. “They have written a truly exceptional script, and we look forward to bringing their shared vision to audiences alongside the team at Plan B.” Day-Lewis also co-wrote the script alongside his son, which is being described as “an exploration of the intricate relationships between fathers, son and brothers as well as the dynamics of familial bonds.” The film also stars Sean Bean, Samantha Morton, Samuel Bottomley, and Safia Oakley-Green.

Daniel Day-Lewis made the choice the retire (again) after starring in Paul Thomas Anderson’s Phantom Thread in 2017. “Before making the film, I didn’t know I was going to stop acting. I do know that Paul and I laughed a lot before we made the movie. And then we stopped laughing because we were both overwhelmed by a sense of sadness,” Day-Lewis said. “That took us by surprise: We didn’t realize what we had given birth to. It was hard to live with. And still is.” As for why he left the profession behind, the actor admitted to not being entirely sure, but it seemed that he lost some of his passion for the work. “I haven’t figured it out,” he said. “But it’s settled on me, and it’s just there. Not wanting to see the film is connected to the decision I’ve made to stop working as an actor. But it’s not why the sadness came to stay. That happened during the telling of the story, and I don’t really know why.“

In the years since, there have been moments where it seemed as though the actor would return, but they didn’t pan out… until now. Day-Lewis is always a mesmerizing presence on screen, and I doubt anyone is upset that the actor has once again broken his retirement.