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‘The Odyssey’ Star Matt Damon and Luciana Damon Show up for Ben Affleck at the ‘Animals’ Premiere

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Few Hollywood friendships have lasted as long, or produced as many films, as the one between Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. The pair have been friends since elementary school and have spent nearly 3 decades making movies together. So it was no surprise that when Affleck’s new thriller had its big night, his oldest collaborator was right there beside him.

That partnership has only deepened in recent years. In November 2022, the duo founded Artists Equity, an artist-led studio backed by Gerry Cardinale’s RedBird Capital, with Affleck serving as CEO and Damon as Chief Content Officer. Matt’s wife, Luciana Damon, is also a partner in the company.

On Thursday, October 1, Matt and Luciana Damon joined Affleck at the Los Angeles premiere of ‘Animals’, as captured in a short clip shared by The Hollywood Reporter. The trio posed together in front of the film’s oversized Netflix backdrop, sharing warm smiles for the cameras.

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Their outfits made for a striking lineup. Matt wore a dark pinstripe suit, Affleck opted for a navy double-breasted look, and Luciana stood out in a bold red suit paired with a white top. The appearance carried extra meaning for the couple. Both Matt and Luciana served as producers on the film, which Affleck co-wrote, directed, and stars in.

Damon’s connection to ‘Animals’ runs even deeper than producing. He was originally set to play the lead, but had to step away because of scheduling conflicts with ‘The Odyssey’ after the film was delayed. Affleck then stepped into the role himself.

The movie follows Mark Kimball, a Los Angeles mayoral candidate played by Affleck, and his wife Abigail, played by Kerry Washington, whose lives are upended when their son is kidnapped. As they scramble to raise the ransom, they’re forced into choices that could tear their world apart. The cast also includes Steven Yeun, Gillian Anderson, Luis Gerardo Méndez, Adriana Paz, and Ray Fisher.

‘Animals’ caps a big year for the duo’s studio. Earlier in 2026, Netflix released ‘The Rip’, an action thriller starring both Damon and Affleck that spent 3 weeks at No. 1 on the platform. Its success led Artists Equity to secure a first-look streaming deal with Netflix.

The pair also made headlines for how they handled that success. Artists Equity announced it would share a performance bonus from Netflix with the cast and crew of ‘The Rip’, in line with the studio’s profit-sharing philosophy.

The company’s track record stretches back to its debut, ‘Air’, the Nike drama directed by Affleck and starring both friends. Since then, it has produced projects including ‘Unstoppable’ with Jennifer Lopez and ‘The Accountant 2’.

The friends’ story is one of Hollywood’s most enduring. Both hail from Cambridge, Massachusetts, and they have collaborated throughout their careers as actors, screenwriters, and producers. Seeing them side by side at yet another premiere is a reminder of how much their partnership continues to shape their work.

‘Animals’ arrives in select theaters and on Netflix on Friday, October 9. With Damon and Luciana behind the scenes and Affleck leading on screen, the film is very much a family effort.

Which Ben Affleck and Matt Damon collaboration is your favorite?

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