What Made Daniel Day-Lewis Come Out Of Retirement After Seven Years?

Daniel Day-Lewis is set to return to feature films, with his son Ronan Day-Lewis directing the project. The acclaimed actor will star in “Anemone,” a film helmed by first-time director Ronan Day-Lewis. This will mark Daniel’s first movie in seven years as he comes out of retirement.

What Made Daniel Day-Lewis Come Out Of Retirement After Seven Years?

Produced by Focus Features and Plan B, this marks Daniel Day-Lewis’ return to acting since his last role in “Phantom Thread” in 2017, which he had claimed would be his final film before retiring.

“We could not be more excited to partner with a brilliant visual artist in Ronan Day-Lewis on his first feature film alongside Daniel Day-Lewis as his creative collaborator,” Focus Features chairman Peter Kujawski said in a statement. “They have written a truly exceptional script, and we look forward to bringing their shared vision to audiences alongside the team at Plan B.”

About Anemone

Daniel and Ronan co-wrote the screenplay, which delves into themes of family relationships, particularly focusing on fathers, sons, and brothers. The cast includes Sean Bean, Samantha Morton, Samuel Bottomley, and Safia Oakley-Green.

The creative team features Ben Fordesman as the director of photography, Jane Petrie as the costume designer, and Chris Oddy as the production designer. Universal Pictures International will handle international distribution for Focus Features.

Ronan Day-Lewis, 26, is not only a filmmaker but also an artist, with his upcoming solo exhibition opening in Hong Kong on Wednesday.

Why Did Daniel Day-Lewis Retire Earlier?

Daniel Day-Lewis stepped away from acting in 2017, just before the release of “Phantom Thread.” At that time, his representative stated: “He is immensely grateful to all of his collaborators and audiences over the many years. This is a private decision and neither he nor his representatives will make any further comment on this subject.”

Later, Daniel explained that the decision to retire wasn’t made before filming “Phantom Thread.” He told a magazine earlier that issuing a public statement, although unusual, was meant to hold himself accountable and ensure he followed through with retirement.

He shared, “But I did want to draw a line. I didn’t want to get sucked back into another project. All my life, I’ve mouthed off about how I should stop acting, and I don’t know why it was different this time, but the impulse to quit took root in me, and that became a compulsion. It was something I had to do.”

Who Is Daniel Day-Lewis’ Son?

His son Ronan, while having made some small directing efforts, is now taking on his first major feature film. According to IMDb, Ronan previously directed a short film called The Sheep and the Wolf and a music video called Snow and Sun.

Besides directing, Ronan is an accomplished painter and graduated from Yale University with a Bachelor of Arts in Art in 2020. He currently resides in New York City, though he grew up in rural Ireland.