Three-time Oscar winner Daniel Day-Lewis has ended his eight-year acting hiatus to star in "Anemone," a psychological drama directed by his son Ronan Day-Lewis in his feature directorial debut.

The film marks Day-Lewis's first screen appearance since Paul Thomas Anderson's "Phantom Thread" in 2017, when he announced his retirement from acting.

Day-Lewis co-wrote the screenplay with Ronan after they spent four years developing the project together. The collaboration began with a simple concept about brotherhood, which evolved into a story about two estranged brothers confronting family trauma. The 68-year-old actor revealed that his decision to return was motivated by "a lingering sadness" at the thought of his son making films without him.

The film centers on Ray Stoker, a reclusive former British soldier living in isolation in the forests of Northern England. His brother Jem, played by Sean Bean, appears after decades apart to persuade Ray to return home and face his troubled past, including reconnecting with his abandoned teenage son. The cast also includes Samantha Morton and Samuel Bottomley.

Day-Lewis admitted he felt "certain hesitations about re-entering the public sphere" when considering whether to act in the film. He described experiencing "a subtle fear, an anxiety about re-engaging with the filmmaking process," but emphasized that Ronan "made it abundantly clear that he wouldn't proceed unless I participated." The actor explained that collaborating with his son "reignited that passion" for acting.

This marks the second time Day-Lewis has come out of retirement. He previously stepped away from acting in 1997 after "The Boxer" to pursue shoemaking in Italy, before returning in 2002 for Martin Scorsese's "Gangs of New York." Day-Lewis now acknowledges that his 2017 retirement announcement may have been premature, stating he "never truly intended to retire" but merely wanted to "explore other projects."

Principal photography for "Anemone" commenced in October 2024 in Manchester, England, with additional filming scheduled to take place in Wales. The production faced minor disruptions during filming in Chester when traffic wardens issued parking tickets to 1980s prop vehicles parked on double-yellow lines.

"Anemone" had its world premiere at the 2025 New York Film Festival on September 28. Focus Features released the film in select theaters on October 3, with a wider expansion following on October 10. The film has received mixed reviews from critics, who praised Day-Lewis's performance and the cinematography while criticizing the screenplay.

Day-Lewis reflected on his return to the spotlight with characteristic humility, calling himself "foolish" for his prior retirement announcement and accepting the attention he had largely avoided for nearly a decade. The collaboration with Ronan represents not just Day-Lewis's comeback but also the beginning of a new generation's filmmaking career in the Day-Lewis family.

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Actor, Retirement, Son, Film, Movie, Drama