Netflix announced Thursday that The Rip, the highly anticipated crime thriller starring Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, has been pushed to a January 16, 2026 release date.
The delay moves what was positioned as one of the streamer’s major 2025 releases to early next year. The film marks another collaboration between Affleck and Damon, who also serve as producers through their Artists Equity studio.
Director Joe Carnahan (Narc, Smokin’ Aces) helms the project, which features an ensemble cast including Steven Yeun (The Walking Dead), Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights), Teyana Taylor, Catalina Sandino Moreno (Maria Full of Grace), and Sasha Calle (The Flash).
The Rip draws inspiration from Carnahan’s real-life friend, a former head of tactical narcotics for the Miami-Dade police department.
“It’s inspired in part by his life and … by my enduring love for those classic ’70’s cop thrillers that really valued the character and interpersonal relationships and became touchstones of that era — films like Serpico and Prince of The City and more recently, Michael Mann’s Heat,” Carnahan told Netflix’s Tudum.
The story centers on a Miami police team that discovers a substantial cache of money in a stash house. The find triggers escalating mistrust as both internal and external pressures mount, testing loyalties within the department.
The title references Miami police slang — a “rip” refers to seizing contraband from suspects.
Carnahan praised his collaboration with Affleck and Damon, describing them as supportive partners who “backed my decisions every step of the way.” The project represents a key release for Artists Equity, the production company the actors launched in 2022.
The January 2026 date positions The Rip as a potential early-year tentpole for Netflix’s original film slate.
