Nearly eight years afterPhantom Threadhit theaters,Daniel Day-Lewisis officially headed back to the big screen in his next starring role. The three-time Academy Award-winning actor is coming out of retirement to feature inan upcoming drama directed by one of his sons. For those looking forward to his long-awaited unretirement, they will be able to see it in theaters later this year.
On Tuesday, Focus Features announced thatAnemone, directed by Ronan Day-Lewis, is getting a limited theatrical release on Oct. 3 before getting an expanded run starting Oct. 10. Per the official logline, “the film explores the complex and profound ties that exist between brothers, fathers, and sons.” In addition to Daniel Day-Lewis, the film stars Sean Bean, Samantha Morton, Samuel Bottomley, and Safia Oakley-Green. Details remain quite slim on the project, but judging by the logline, it is quite clear why Daniel Day-Lewis unretired from acting for the new drama. He also co-wrote the screenplay alongside his Ronan.
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Daniel Day-Lewis getting back on the acting saddleafter retiring post-Phantom Threadwas a shocking development that was candidly revealed when set photos of the production surfaced online. He was on a motorcycle with Bean, riding the streets of Manchester, England. An actor of his magnitude and filmography is hard to keep under wraps, it seems. When the film was officially announced by Focus Features, chairman Peter Kujawski talked aboutAnemone, which is the directorial debut of 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. They have written a truly exceptional script, and we look forward to bringing their shared vision to audiences alongside the team at Plan B.”
Why Did Daniel Day-Lewis Retire?
In 2017, beforePhantom Threadhad even released in theaters, it was announced thatDaniel Day-Lewis would be retiring from acting. At the time, the reason was unclear. That is, until he gave an interview with W Magazine. It seems that the ever-changing state of the industry and entertainment was taking a toll on him as an artist, who began to feel like the work was not “vital” anymore.
“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.”
Getting to this conclusion was not straightforward, however. At the time of filmingPhantom Thread, it simply appeared to him that retiring was the right move. There was an innate sadness during that journey, but he didn’t know why. He then revealed that he had not even seen the finished project, and it still remains unknown if he ever watched the Paul Thomas Anderson film.
“I haven’t figured it out. 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.”
Source:Focus Features,W Magazine
