Anemone not only marks Daniel’s return to acting after an eight-year hiatus, but also Ronan’s debut as a writer-director. The three-time Oscar winner, who also co-wrote the script, shares Ronan with wife Rebecca Miller, along with sons Gabriel and Cashel.
Actor Sean Bean, who stars alongside Daniel in the film, told PEOPLE at the movie's NYFF premiere that he felt like he was part of a family affair while working on Anemone -- and the father-son duo was "very welcoming, really."
"Daniel is obviously focused very much on his work," said Bean, 66, and "Ronan was directing and he was slipping into a first-time director. I remember he was very confident and he was very self-assured, which is always a nice thing to see."
"I think we were so kind of focused on our characters, Daniel and I," the actor continued, adding that his costar’s relationship with the director didn’t exactly read as "father-son," as "they weren’t laughing and joking -- they were very focused."
Bean also added that "Ronan is a really naturally warm and gentle guy, but he’s got a kind of a backbone and he knows exactly what he’s doing," and "it was great to watch him and become his friend."
During a panel at NYFF days just a couple days earlier, Daniel explained why he returned to his craft after announcing his retirement.
"I made a f------ fool of myself by announcing that I was going to stop working, and probably a bigger fool of myself coming back," the star said alongside son Ronan on Friday, Sept. 26. "But to deny myself the possibility of working with Ronan just to stand on my pride, I think that would've been probably a worse decision than just, well, I said that, so I'm sticking to it."
Anemone is Daniel's first movie role since 2017's Phantom Thread. According to an official synopsis, the film deals with familial issues: "Family bonds between fathers, sons and brothers are explored as complex relationships unfold through personal journeys and generational conflicts."