Oscar winner Ben Affleck is set to star in his upcoming Netflix thriller Animals, which he’s also directing.

My Oscar Book:

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.

“Animals” is aiming to begin production in Los Angeles this April, according to Deadline, who first reported the casting shakeup. Meanwhile, “The Odyssey” is expected to commence shooting in various global locations later in February.

The crime thriller follows a mayoral candidate whose child is kidnapped.

Though Damon won’t appear in “Animals,” he’s remaining on the project as a producer with Affleck through their company Artists Equity, along with executive Dani Bernfeld.

Additional producers are Brad Weston and Collin Creighton of MakeReady, who developed the project in partnership with Fifth Season. Artists Equity’s Michael Joe, Kevin Halloran and Lucy Damon will serve as executive producers.

Affleck is the Oscar-winning filmmaker of the political thriller “Argo,” crime drama “The Town” and the sports comedy “Air,” all of which he’s pulled off double duty as an actor and director.

Anderson, best known for starring in “The X-Files” as FBI agent Dana Scully, has recently worked with Netflix on “The Crown,” in which she portrayed Margaret Thatcher and “Sex Education.”