Ethan Hawke to Direct Maya Hawke, Laura Linney, and Steve Zahn in Flannery O'Connor Biopic WILDCAT
Actor and director Ethan Hawke is set to direct the biopic Wildcat, which will tell the story of Southern writer Flannery O’Connor. His daughter, Maya Hawke (Stranger Things), will star in the film in the role of O’Connor, and will be joined in the cast by Oscar-nominee Laura Linney (You Can Count on Me), Philip Ettinger (First Reformed), Rafael Casal (Blindspotting), Steve Zahn (White Lotus), Cooper Hoffman (Licorice Pizza), Willa Fitzgerald (Reacher), Alessandro Nivola (The Many Saints of Newark) and Vincent D’Onofrio (Daredevil).
In addition to directing the film, Ethan Hawke produces and also co-wrote the script with Shelby Gaines.
Wildcat will follow O’Connor as she struggles to publish her first novel. A devout Catholic from Georgia, O’Connor was invited to the prestigious Iowa Writers’ Workshop. Famous for her offbeat short fiction about the American South and her faith, she was plagued by lupus for much of her life, and died at 39. Her work continues to be read, studied and admired and she received posthumous acclaim, including the National Book Award. O’Connor’s notable works include two books of short stories: A Good Man Is Hard to Find and Everything That Rises Must Converge, as well as the novel Wise Blood.
Ethan Hawke said of the project:
“Maya has been working hard for years to put this project together, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to introduce a new generation of filmgoers to the genius of Flannery O’Connor. Her work explores themes important to all artists — the intersection of creativity and faith, the blurred relationship between imagination and reality.”
Ethan Hawke previously worked with daughter Maya Hawke on the limited series The Good Lord Bird, but he is directing her for the first time with Wildcat, which just started principal photography.
via: Variety