Daniel Day-Lewis is set to end his seven-year acting retirement by starring in his son’s directorial debut.
Day-Lewis, the only actor ever to win three best actor Oscars, is widely regarded as one of the finest actors of our time. His absence from the silver screen has been deeply felt over the past few years.
Despite announcing his retirement in 2017 — much to the disappointment of cinema lovers everywhere — Day-Lewis will make his return to the big screen in his son Ronan Day-Lewis’ directorial debut.
The new film, titled Anemone, is a collaboration between Focus Features and Plan B. Co-written by the father-son team, the film will delve into the relationships between fathers, sons, and brothers. This will be Day-Lewis’ first acting role since Paul Thomas Anderson’s 2017 film Phantom Thread—an exceptional movie worth watching if you haven’t already.
“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 per Variety. “They have written a truly exceptional script, and we look forward to bringing their shared vision to audiences alongside the team at Plan B.”
Ronan, 26, is primarily known as a painter and visual artist, so we can expect the film to be visually stunning, complemented by his father’s extraordinary talent.
Day-Lewis initially announced his retirement from acting for undisclosed reasons in 2017, just before the release of Phantom Thread. At the time, a representative for the actor stated, “[Day-Lewis] is immensely grateful to all of his collaborators and audiences over the many years.”
“This is a private decision and neither he nor his representatives will make any further comment on this subject,” they added per Variety.
In an interview with W magazine, the actor further explained his decision to retire, stating that before making Phantom Thread, he “didn’t know I was going to stop acting.”
“I knew it was uncharacteristic to put out a statement,” the There Will Be Blood star shared. “But I did want to draw a line. I didn’t want to get sucked back into another project. All my life, I’ve mouthed off about how I should stop acting, and I don’t know why it was different this time, but the impulse to quit took root in me, and that became a compulsion. It was something I had to do.”