Kerry Washington and Ben Affleck Go Dark in Netflix's New Thriller "Animals"

Ben Affleck is back behind the camera — and in front of it — for "Animals," a tense new political thriller co-starring Kerry Washington that Netflix confirmed this week will hit the streamer on October 9.

Affleck directs and co-wrote the film, which he also stars in as Mark Kimball, a Los Angeles mayoral candidate whose campaign implodes when his young son is kidnapped. Washington plays his wife, Abigail, and the two find themselves scrambling to raise a ransom while a web of deception threatens to expose secrets that could tear their family and his political future apart.

The ensemble is stacked: Gillian Anderson, Steven Yeun, Luis Gerardo Méndez, Adriana Paz and Ray Fisher round out the cast. Interestingly, Matt Damon was originally attached to lead before scheduling conflicts pulled him off the project, opening the door for Affleck to step into the role himself.

Behind the scenes, the film comes from Affleck and Damon's Artists Equity banner alongside Makeready and Fifth Season, with Robert Elswit — the Oscar-winning cinematographer behind "There Will Be Blood" handling the camera work.

Netflix released the first teaser trailer this week alongside first-look photos, teasing a moody, high-stakes drama that leans into the messy intersection of power, ambition and family. "Animals" opens in select theaters and begins streaming on Netflix October 9.