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Daniel Day-Lewis is back, and the world should take notice. Eight years after declaring his retirement from acting with the finality of a man who seemed to mean it this time, the three-time Oscar winner has emerged from his self-imposed exile with ANEMONE, a deeply personal project that marks not just his return to the screen, but a profound collaboration with his son, Ronan Day-Lewis, who makes his feature directorial debut.
The announcement comes with all the gravitas we’ve come to expect from Day-Lewis—a single, haunting image that immediately reminds us what we’ve been missing. There’s an intensity in his gaze that speaks to the eight-year absence, a weight that only an actor of his caliber can carry. This isn’t just another comeback; this is Daniel Day-Lewis choosing to break his own artistic sabbatical for something that clearly demanded his return.
ANEMONE, which will world premiere at the 63rd New York Film Festival before opening in limited release on October 3, represents something entirely new in Day-Lewis’s career. For the first time, he’s working with family in the most literal sense, co-writing the screenplay with his son and submitting to his direction. The project is described as “an absorbing family drama about lives undone by seemingly irreconcilable legacies of political and personal violence,” following a middle-aged man played by Sean Bean who ventures into the woods to reconnect with his estranged hermit brother—Day-Lewis’s character. It’s a setup that feels almost too perfectly suited to an actor who has spent his career disappearing into roles and, more recently, disappearing from the industry entirely.
The timing of Day-Lewis’s return feels significant. When he announced his retirement following 2017’s PHANTOM THREAD, his statement carried a weight that his previous departures hadn’t. This wasn’t the same man who temporarily left acting after THE BOXER in 1996 to apprentice as a cobbler in Italy, only to return with renewed purpose. His 2017 retirement felt different, more final. In interviews, he spoke of losing faith in the value of his work, of needing to believe in what he was doing but finding that belief increasingly elusive. “I need to believe in the value of what I’m doing,” he told W magazine. “The work can seem vital. Irresistible, even. And if an audience believes it, that should be good enough for me. But, lately, it isn’t.”
What changed? The answer seems to lie in the deeply personal nature of ANEMONE. This isn’t just another role for Day-Lewis; it’s a family project exploring “the complex and profound ties that exist between brothers, fathers, and sons.” Working alongside his son Ronan, who comes from a background as a painter and artist, Day-Lewis has found something worth returning for—a story that demanded to be told and a creative partnership that reignited his passion for the craft.
The film’s supporting cast includes Samantha Morton and Samuel Bottomley, with Ben Fordesman, fresh off LOVE LIES BLEEDING, handling cinematography. The project has all the hallmarks of a serious awards contender, arriving in the thick of awards season with the kind of pedigree that demands attention. But more than its awards potential, ANEMONE represents a fascinating evolution for an actor who has spent decades perfecting the art of transformation.
The awards season darling you`ve been hearing about is finally streaming.
Chloé Zhao`s HAMNET—the haunting exploration of grief, love, and the creation of Shakespeare`s HAMLET—brings together Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley in performances that have kept both firmly in the Oscar conversation.
If you missed it theatrically, now`s your chance to see what the buzz is about before Oscar night. This is the kind of film that reminds you why cinema matters.
More HAMNET at irishfilmtv.com.
Taylor Swift just dropped the OPALITE music video and it`s giving major Irish vibes ☘️✨
The nearly 6-minute visual sees Domhnall Gleeson starring as Taylor`s love interest, playing two lonely souls who find each other. But here`s where it gets even better: eagle-eyed Swifties spotted cameos from Cillian Murphy and Graham Norton, making this a full-on Irish affair.
Want the full breakdown of this transatlantic collaboration? Head to our blog for all the details on how this stunning video came together. Link in bio! 🔗
The creator of DERRY GIRLS just dropped a murder mystery set at an Irish wake, and honestly? It`s the genre mashup we didn`t know we needed 🕵️♀️
Lisa McGee is back with HOW TO GET TO HEAVEN FROM BELFAST on Netflix, and if you loved how she found humor in the Troubles (Protestants! Toasters! Cupboards!), you`re going to eat this up.
Three friends reunite for their childhood bestie`s funeral, only to realize her death isn`t what it seems. Cue an eerie adventure across Ireland that`s equal parts creepy and hilarious.
More at irishfilmtv.com.
British Vogue just put Jessie Buckley on their February cover and it`s not just a magazine shoot—it`s a coronation.
Shot by Jack Davison on the windswept Norfolk coast near her home, these images are pure cinema. Sky, sea, and a woman at the exact moment her entire life is about to change.
She`s the frontrunner for Best Actress. HAMNET is destroying audiences. She`s a new mother standing at the edge of the kind of fame that alters everything.
And Vogue captured it all—the grit, the greatness, the quiet mastery that got her here.
More Jessie at irishfilmtv.com.
Caitriona Balfe has just landed her next major role in THE HOUSEKEEPER.
Set in a grand historic manor against Cornwall`s dramatic landscape, Balfe plays Danni, a housekeeper who falls into a forbidden affair with none other than writer Daphne du Maurier (played by Mackenzi Laird).
While we`re counting down to OUTLANDER`s final season premiere on Mar 6th, Balfe is already proving she`s so much more than Claire Fraser. 🔥
More Caitriona at irishfilmtv.com.
After over 20 years of mesmerizing us on screen, Saoirse Ronan is ready to call the shots—literally.
The four-time Oscar nominee is making her directorial debut with PAPER PLANE, an Irish short film she`s also writing, and honestly, this feels like the natural next chapter for someone who`s been acting since she was nine years old.
Details about PAPER PLANE are still under wraps, but with Ronan`s track record, expectations are sky-high. What are you most excited to see from her behind the camera? 🎬
More Saoirse at irishfilmtv.com.
Louis Paxton`s Sundance 2026 debut THE INCOMER stars Domhnall Gleeson, Gayle Rankin, and Grant O`Rourke in a trio that`s equal parts hilarious and heartbreaking.
Think fish-out-of-water meets generational grief, wrapped in the warmth of fireside hot chocolate. Sometimes the scariest thing isn`t a legendary Fin Man—it`s letting go of the past.
Have you ever held onto something because changing felt like betrayal?
More Domhnall at irishfilmtv.com.
🎸 THE BEATLES ARE COMING BACK TO CINEMAS.
Four films. Four perspectives. One legendary band.
Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney. Harris Dickinson as John Lennon. Joseph Quinn as George Harrison. Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr.
The first look just dropped via postcards hidden around Liverpool`s performing arts campus and honestly?
The hype is REAL. 🔥
Sam Mendes is directing all four films, each told from a different Beatle`s POV, and they`re ALL releasing on the same day—April 7, 2028.
Which Beatle`s story are you most excited to see? 👇
Irish talent is absolutely dominating the 2026 BAFTA nominations! 🇮🇪✨
Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal both scored major noms for HAMNET, with Buckley up for Leading Actress as Agnes and Mescal recognized for Supporting Actor as William Shakespeare. The film has basically swept the nominations, breaking records left and right.
But that`s just the beginning. Andrew Scott landed on the longlist for BLUE MOON, Robbie Ryan got recognized for his stunning cinematography on BUGONIA, and even Cillian Murphy appears as a producer on the STEVE longlist.
From performers to cinematographers to production companies like Element Pictures and Wild Atlantic Pictures, Irish voices are everywhere in this year`s race.
The ceremony hits London on February 22nd. The world is watching Irish cinema right now, and what a moment to witness. 🎬🔥
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