In what is almost surely the year’s biggest casting news, Daniel Day-Lewis has ended retirement for his own progeny. Focus Features have announced Anemone, which his son Ronan Day-Lewis, in a feature debut, is directing from a script that’s co-written by his father––the actor’s first such credit––and concerns “the intricate relationships between fathers, sons and brothers, and the dynamics of familial bonds.”
Samantha Morton, Sean Bean, Samuel Bottomley, and Safia Oakley-Green co-star in the film, which has been seen rolling cameras in Manchester, while a paper local to Warrington, one known shooting location, claims it’s an ’80s period piece in which Bean plays an ex-soldier. This is about the deepest details go for now, but expect more in months to come; by any stretch Anemone boasts one of (fair guess) 2025’s most-anticipated performances.
Ben Fordesman (Love Lies Bleeding) is the Director of Photography, Jane Petrie (The Crown) is the Costume Designer and Chris Oddy (Zone of Interest) is the Production Designer.
Focus Features Chairman, Peter Kujawski says: “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.”
Ronan Day-Lewis is also a painter, with his debut international solo exhibition opening on October 2nd in Hong Kong, with additional upcoming shows in New York City and Los Angeles. See some of his work below as we await more details on the film.