Ben Affleck and Matt Damon's production company, Artists Equity, has entered a multi-year first-look streaming, production, and distribution agreement with Netflix. The deal positions Artists Equity as the lead studio for its films on the platform, following the success of their recent release 'The Rip.' This partnership builds on an existing theatrical arrangement with Sony Pictures.
Artists Equity, founded by Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, and Gerry Cardinale in November 2022 and backed by RedBird Capital Partners, announced a multi-year streaming first-look, production, and distribution agreement with Netflix on March 3, 2026. Under the terms, Artists Equity will serve as the lead studio on films it produces for Netflix, handling creative and production aspects for straight-to-streaming titles.
The deal follows the January 16, 2026, premiere of 'The Rip,' an action thriller directed by Joe Carnahan. Starring Damon, Affleck, Steven Yeun, Teyana Taylor, Sasha Calle, and Catalina Sandino Moreno, with Scott Adkins and Kyle Chandler, the film spent three weeks at No. 1 on Netflix's Global Weekly Top 10 chart and amassed 112.3 million views over six weeks. It was produced by Affleck, Damon, Luciana Damon, and Dani Bernfeld.
Affleck and Damon stated, “This is an incredible milestone for Artists Equity and one that validates the vision we’ve been working towards since 2022. From the jump, we’ve seen this growing need for an independent supplier comfortable across the entire creative process, from development to final cut. Netflix is a great match for our work.” They praised Netflix Film chairman Dan Lin and his team for their connection with modern viewers.
Lin commented, “We’re expanding our partnership with Artists Equity because they share our mission – to make bold, original films. Ben and Matt don’t wait for opportunities, they create them... Audiences worldwide are loving ‘The Rip,’ and we can’t wait to share the thriller ‘Animals’ later this year.”
Later in 2026, Netflix will release Affleck's directorial feature 'Animals,' in which he stars alongside Kerry Washington, Gillian Anderson, Adriana Paz, Ray Fisher, Matt Gerald, Luis Gerardo Méndez, and Yeun. The film follows a Los Angeles mayoral candidate and his wife who must raise ransom money after their son is kidnapped.
Artists Equity maintains a separate theatrical feature film agreement with Sony Pictures, under which its big-screen projects will reach Netflix via the streamer's Pay-1 deal with Sony. Since its launch, the company has released films including the Nike drama 'Air,' the sports story 'Unstoppable' with Jennifer Lopez, the crime sequel 'The Accountant 2' starring Affleck and Jon Bernthal, and a remake of 'Kiss of the Spider Woman' featuring Lopez, Diego Luna, and Tonatiuh. Artists Equity operates across scripted film and television, unscripted content, and advertising divisions, aiming to provide a talent-friendly environment and expand profit participation for creatives.
During promotion for 'The Rip,' Damon noted on Joe Rogan's podcast that Netflix executives prefer films to restate the plot multiple times in dialogue, accommodating viewers who multitask with their phones.
