Daniel Day-Lewis comes out of 7-year retirement for a family affair in ‘Anemone’ trailer
The actor, who retired from acting in 2017, co-wrote the film with his son Ronan Day-Lewis
By Larisha Paul
Daniel Day-Lewis is as sharp as ever in the first official trailer for Anemone, the feature film that marks his return to acting after retiring from the profession in 2017. In theaters Oct. 3, Anemone stars Day-Lewis as Ray Stoker, an estranged brother, son, and father who turned to a life of isolation following a stint as a military soldier.
In the trailer, his brother Jem nicknames him “The Invisible Man” on account of the years he spent wandering the woods of Ireland without contacting anyone. “What do you want from me, brother?” Ray asks in a thick accent. “What do you want?” Snapshots of the scenes that follow preview violence, confusion, and what is undoubtedly the result of PTSD compounded with the loneliness of self-exile. “You’re going to hell, brother,” Jem tells Ray, who responds, “Family reunion.”
Anemone is all about family. In a synopsis of the film, Focus Features describes it as an exploration of “the complex and profound ties that exist between brothers, fathers, and sons.” Day-Lewis co-wrote the film with his own son, Ronan Day-Lewis, who also makes his directorial debut.
“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 chair Peter Kujawski said in a statement last year. “They have written a truly exceptional script, and we look forward to bringing their shared vision to audiences alongside the team at Plan B.”
Anemone also stars Samantha Morton, Samuel Bottomley, and Safia Oakley-Green.
Day-Lewis last appeared in a feature film in Paul Thomas Anderson’s Phantom Thread, released in 2017. By then, his career had already earned him three Best Actor wins at the Academy Awards. At the time, his spokesperson said he would “no longer be working as an actor,” noting, “This is a private decision and neither he nor his representatives will make any further comment on the subject.”
Anemone will premiere at the 2025 New York Film Festival in September.