Netflix Officially Reunites With One Of Its Biggest Stars In 2 Weeks

Netflix Officially Reunites With One Of Its Biggest Stars In 2 Weeks After Chart-Topping Smash Hit

Published Sep 25, 2026, 12:55 PM EDT

Cooper Hood is the Associate Editor for all new movie releases, in theaters and on streaming. In addition to writing articles about these titles and upcoming releases, he also oversees content planning for each, ensuring that ScreenRant continues to cover major releases for months after their release.

He has written various reviews for ScreenRant that appear on Rotten Tomatoes, coordinated Oscars and San Diego Comic-Con coverage, appeared on CNN to talk about Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, and done select interviews with talent over the years.

Netflix has become the home to some of Hollywood's biggest movie stars. Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Charlize Theron, Taron Egerton, Sandra Bullock, Jamie Foxx, Julia Roberts, Michael B. Jordan, and Alan Ritchson are but a few of the stars who have lent their talents to the streaming service's original library over the years.

In many cases, these actors have delivered huge viewership numbers for Netflix original movies. That typically leads the streamer to seek partnerships with the stars again, hoping to replicate those massive success stories. These reunions don't always produce major hits, but more often than not, subscribers tune in to see what some of the industry's most recognizable faces have done next on the biggest streaming service.

This has remained true with Netflix's most-watched 2026 movies, which include global sensations like Swapped, War Machine, and Apex. Arguably the streamer's most star-studded film this year, though, is The Rip. The crime thriller brought Affleck and Damon together with Steven Yeun, Kyle Chandler, Teyana Taylor, and more.

The Rip is 2026's biggest movie on streaming according to Nielsen's data. It topped the streamer's charts for three consecutive weeks and officially amassed over 136 million hours watched during the first half of the year. Luckily for Netflix, one of The Rip's stars is about to give subscribers a new movie to devour, as Affleck returns to the streamer soon.

Ben Affleck's New Netflix Movie Animals Releases In 2 Weeks

Image via Netflix

After starring in Joe Carnahan's action crime thriller, Ben Affleck is behind one of Netflix's most anticipated remaining 2026 movies, Animals. He is back in front of the camera for the new crime thriller, but his duties don't stop there. Affleck also directed, co-wrote, and produced Animals. The movie is slated to release on Netflix on October 9, 2026.

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Animals is a different crime thriller story for Affleck after The Rip. The story centers around his character, Mark Kimball, who is running for mayor of Los Angeles. In the midst of his campaign, his son is kidnapped, leaving him to do whatever it takes to get enough money to get his child back. Whereas Affleck's character in The Rip was used to operating in murky waters, his Animals character is not.

The movie marks the fourth collaboration between Netflix and Affleck. They originally joined forces for 2019's cult favorite action thriller, Triple Frontier. Affleck then starred in 2020's The Last Thing He Wanted. After a major break due to scheduling issues, 2026 has brought Affleck back to Netflix twice with The Rip and now Animals.

He's not the only The Rip star coming back in two weeks, though. Animals' cast features big stars in Gillian Anderson and Kerry Washington, but Steven Yeun also has a part after working with Affleck on The Rip.

Ben Affleck's Popularity On Streaming Bodes Well For Animals

Affleck's return to Netflix should go quite well for him and the streamer. He is a globally recognizable star and has been for years. He has several big box office hits, but he's also managed to become quite popular on streaming.

The Rip's viewership is a sign of what could come for Animals. Whether it can achieve the same heights remains to be seen, but Affleck has always delivered hits for Netflix. Triple Frontier had excellent viewership when it came out. The Last Thing He Wanted's performance has never been disclosed, though.

Affleck's popularity on streaming doesn't stop with Netflix. Prime Video has seen great success with him too. Air, The Accountant, and The Accountant 2 have all become chart-topping hits for Amazon after the movies originally debuted in theaters. So long as Animals is as good as it looks, Affleck and Netflix should have another major hit on their hands.