First trailer for Anemone, Daniel Day-Lewis in his first role in 8 years released

Daniel Day-Lewis, who retired eight years ago after the 2017 Phantom Thread release, is making a comeback to the silver screen for Anemone, a screenplay that he co-wrote with his son Ronan Day-Lewis. The film, set to premiere at the New York Film Festival, just dropped a first-look trailer, which is nothing short of terrifyingly emotional dynamite.

The film is all set to release on a limited basis in the US on October 3, and then expand into a wide release a week later on October 10. The film has been in the making for eight very long years, and the trailer is just the emotional powerhouse for a first look.

First look at Anemone, Daniel Day-Lewis' return to the silver screen after 8 years

When Academy Award-winner Daniel Day-Lewis decided to retire from acting, it was an extremely private decision and was announced via an official statement. However, he later expanded on his decision, stating that he felt it was the responsibility of an artist to believe in the value of the work they were doing, and an inability to do so at the time led him to make the decision.

It wasn't until October 2024 that there were rumors about a screenplay that Day-Lewis had written with his son and intended to star in once it got to that stage. Now, almost a year later, we finally get a first look at the project that the British star himself collaborated on in the conception of.

The Anemone trailer is a dark, moody, and intense look at the film, but it does not offer much information in terms of plot or expectations. Day-Lewis is introduced as Ray Stoker, a man who has isolated himself from the world in the woods.

"All these years, the isolation, this is it, this is my life."

Decades later, he is confronted by Sean Bean's character, whom Stoker calls "Brother," who tries to open up the past that Stoker has shut off deep inside him in an effort to understand what happened.

"I can't help you till you tell me what happened."

The trailer largely hinges on the exchange between the isolated hermit and the middle-aged suburban brother, and it is clear that their relationship is fraught with complications and a mysterious path, which is alluded to. The official synopsis of Ronan Day-Lewis's directorial debut with Ben Fordesman as the cinematographer, as revealed by the New York Film Festival, reads:

"The Northern England–set Anemone begins as a middle-aged man (Bean) sets out from his suburban home on a journey into the woods, where he reconnects with his estranged hermit brother (Day-Lewis). 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."

A dark political and deeply personal history is alluded to in the dark, moody, and mysterious montages that make up the trailer, with images of what looks like a kid's drawing of a war and soldiers. Along with Daniel Day-Lewis and Sean Bean, the trailer also reveals Oscar nominee Samantha Morton, Samuel Bottomley, and Safia Oakley-Green as costars on Anemone.

The synopsis further reads:

"An emotional powerhouse, this directorial debut is assured in both small details and grand gestures as it charts the path toward familial redemption against all odds. In addition to its unflinching lead performances, Anemone features standout supporting work from Morton and Bottomley, and sensationally expressive widescreen cinematography by Ben Fordesman."

Trending

Keep reading Soap Central as we keep up with the exciting updates on Daniel Day-Lewis' return to the screen with Anemone!

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback

Quick Links

More from SoapCentral