Not even Daniel Day-Lewis can commit to retirement, apparently [UPDATED]

[Update, October 1, 5:15 pm]: The Hollywood Reporter is now confirming that Daniel Day-Lewis has in fact signed on to appear in Anemone, which his son Ronan Day-Lewis is directing. The two of them co-wrote the script, and Samantha Morton will also star.

[Original story]: It’s best not to believe a famous performer when they say they’re retiring. Very few of them ever actually quit for good; many, many of them come crawling back to the spotlight at some time or another. It seemed like Daniel Day-Lewis might be the rare exception to this rule, possibly because his eccentric personality lent credence to the idea he was done, or possibly because he’s such a damn good actor that he was really able to convince us of his sincerity. But it turns out Daniel Day-Lewis was not an exception, as the widely regarded greatest living actor appears to be acting again. 

This comes from the Daily Mail, which caught Day-Lewis on the set of a project reportedly called Avelyne that no one has ever heard of. He was photographed riding a motorbike with Sean Bean. The Mail described the setup as an “action packed scene.”

DANIEL DAY-LEWIS IS ON A FILM SET??????????????? pic.twitter.com/b0CuQQqu4e

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— jen (@endofdayIight) October 1, 2024

Hopefully, this is a genuine movie and not, like, a perfume commercial or an ad for a joint Day-Lewis/Bean liquor venture à la the Breaking Bad guys. The Mail insists this is “a movie entitled Avelyn where Sean is thought to be playing the role of an ex-soldier.” Deadline has no additional info, but reports that “Most likely this is a cameo or a favor for a friend rather than a full-blown return.” All we really know at the moment is that Day-Lewis was on an actual set, being filmed, with Bean. We also know Day-Lewis is a documented motorcycle enthusiast, so perhaps his involvement with this shoot is connected to that passion. 

Day-Lewis announced his retirement via a statement from his publicist in 2017. “I knew it was uncharacteristic to put out a statement. 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,” he later told W Magazine. He professed a desire to “explore the world in a different way.” Maybe he’s done exploring; maybe he’s coming out of retirement for that fabled “one last job.” Or maybe Amy Poehler’s plea for him to come back to acting finally reached his hermit ears. Whatever the case, it appears we are so back.