Daniel Day-Lewis returns to acting after 8 years with his son behind the camera; everything to know about Anemone
Daniel Day-Lewis, who famously walked away from acting after declaring he was done for good, is making an unexpected return to the screen. The three-time Oscar winner stars in Anemone, a father-son indie drama that just released its first trailer — and the comeback is already stirring excitement.
The moody, atmospheric footage introduces Sean Bean as a suburban man who journeys deep into the Northern England woods, where he reunites with his estranged hermit brother, played by Day-Lewis. What follows is a tense exploration of fractured family ties, haunted by history and unresolved wounds.
Anemone will have its world premiere at the New York Film Festival, running from September 26 to October 13. The project is especially personal, marking the directorial debut of Day-Lewis’ son, Ronan Day-Lewis, with the screenplay co-written by father and son.
About the movie
According to the film’s official description, Anemone is “an absorbing family drama … about lives undone by seemingly irreconcilable legacies of political and personal violence … bonded by a mysterious, complicated past, the men share a fraught, if occasionally tender relationship — one that was forever altered by shattering events decades earlier.”
This marks Day-Lewis’ first role since 2017’s Phantom Thread. At the time, the actor made headlines by announcing his exit from cinema with a rare public statement: “Daniel Day-Lewis will no longer be working as an actor. He 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.”
Later, he elaborated in an interview with W magazine, explaining the deep impulse behind his decision: “I knew it was uncharacteristic to put out a statement. 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 … I dread to use the overused word ‘artist,’ but there’s something of the responsibility of the artist that hung over me. I need to believe in the value of what I’m doing. The work can seem vital. Irresistible, even. And if an audience believes it, that should be good enough for me. But, lately, it isn’t.”
Day-Lewis’ sudden reemergence suggests that Anemone may be more than just another role. With his son behind the camera, the project carries a layered personal dimension — a fitting stage for an actor who has always chosen roles that blur the line between art and obsession.
After an eight-year silence, his return raises one big question: if Daniel Day-Lewis could be compelled back into acting despite his vow to quit, just how powerful and personal is Anemone?
