EXCLUSIVE: Luis Gerardo Méndez and Adriana Paz are the latest to join the cast of the Netflix crime thriller Animals. Ben Affleck will star and direct with Kerry Washington, Steven Yeun and Gillian Anderson also on board. The plan is for the film to shoot in Los Angeles from a script by Connor McIntyre and Billy Ray.
Plot details are being kept under wraps other then the film revolving around a kidnapping.
Affleck, Matt Damon and Dani Bernfeld will produce through their Artists Equity banner, the artist-led studio founded by Affleck, Damon and Gerry Cardinale/RedBird Capital Partners. Brad Weston and Collin Creighton are also producing for Makeready, which developed the project in partnership with Fifth Season. Artists Equity’s Michael Joe, Kevin Halloran and Lucy Damon will serve as executive producers alongside Fifth Season.
For Mendez, the role is a huge get for one of Mexico’s biggest stars. Best known for playing the lead role and executive producing Netflix’s first Spanish-language original comedy series Club de Cuervos.
He recently made his directing debut with the Netflix film Techno Boys, which he co-directed with Gerardo Gatica. Luis also plays a starring role in the film, which was produced by his production company Cine Vaquero. It was the most watched film on Netflix LatAm when it was released in September 2024.
Mendez starred in the limited series Who Killed Him? for Amazon, opposite Diego Boneta and Belinda. The series was released in May 2024. He can also be seen opposite Elizabeth Banks, Nathan Fillion and Lewis Pullman in the feature film Skincare, directed by Austin Peters (IFC Films), and released in August 2024.
Paz was most recently seen in the Oscar-nominated Netflix pic Emilia Perez. Other credits include Chupa and Death’s Roulette.
Mendez is repped by UTA, GoodManagement and Goodman, Genow, Schenkman, Smelkinson & Christopher and Paz is repped by Eliseo Ruiz & Raul Simancas.
