Daniel Day-Lewis returns in 2025 with Anemone, a family drama directed by his son Ronan Day-Lewis

Three-time Oscar winner Daniel Day-Lewis is back from retirement in Anemone, a new drama directed by his son, Ronan Day-Lewis.

The first trailer for the tense thriller dropped on Thursday night, August 21, offering a glimpse of a bleak and atmospheric film that explores strained family ties.

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Stormy coastlines, shadowy rooms, and terse conversations between Day-Lewis' character Ray and his estranged brother appear in the trailer, along with drawings resembling people holding Irish flags. Anemone was co-written by father and son, lending both intimacy and unease to the project.

Focus Features to release Anemone in theaters

Produced by Brad Pitt’s Plan B and distributed by Focus Features, the film features Sean Bean, Samantha Morton, and Samuel Bottomley in key roles. It will premiere at the New York Film Festival before its US release on October 3, followed by a wider rollout on October 10.

Filmed partly in Yorkshire, the story follows two brothers forced to confront unresolved family trauma against the backdrop of political memory. Early festival notes describe the film as a slow-burning psychological drama.

Critical anticipation and industry context

Critics have noted that the collaboration between Day-Lewis and his son makes Anemone one of the most anticipated art-house releases of 2025. Though some early reactions online label it the “ultimate nepo baby film,” festival insiders highlight its layered themes of grief, reconciliation, and undercurrents of violence.

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Day-Lewis, who last appeared in Phantom Thread (2017), has retired multiple times during his career, first after The Boxer (1997), and again after Phantom Thread. Whether Anemone signals a permanent comeback remains uncertain, but the trailer suggests that at 68, his screen presence remains undiminished.