Ben Affleck has replaced Matt Damon in a new Netflix crime thriller, which will be their second together after RIP releases later this year.

Affleck, who produced via his and Damon's company Artists Equity, called the movie a "really fun, engaging ride that keeps you guessing. It’s a compelling, complicated human drama that also hues to these elements of cinema that people have loved forever."

The ‘Gone Girl’ actor will direct ‘Animals’, as well as replace his best friend Matt Damon to take on the lead role. The crime thriller will be the third production under Affleck and Damon’s production banner,

Ben Affleck is set to star in his upcoming Netflix thriller "Animals," which he's also directing. His longtime friend Matt Damon was originally slated to lead the film but had to depart due to scheduling conflicts with Christopher Nolan's upcoming epic "The Odyssey.

Matt Damon's packed schedule with Christopher Nolan's upcoming project hands Ben Affleck the lead in Netflix thriller.

Ben Affleck steps into the lead role of Animals after Matt Damon exits due to scheduling conflicts, with Gillian Anderson set to co-star in the Netflix thriller