‘Wildcat’: Ethan Hawke To Direct New Film Starring Maya Hawke, Laura Linney & More

It’s been nearly five years since Ethan Hawke has gone back to directing a narrative feature. Now, it appears the actor/filmmaker is not only planning to helm his next narrative feature soon, but he didn’t have to look very far to find the lead, as his daughter, Maya Hawke is joining her dad in the upcoming film, “Wildcat.”

According to Variety, Ethan Hawke is set to direct “Wildcat,” a biopic following the story of writer Flannery O’Connor. The Southern writer is probably best known for her two novels, “The Violent Bear It Away” and “Wise Blood.” Maya Hawke is set to play the lead and will be joined by an all-star cast that includes Laura Linney, Philip Ettinger, Rafael Casal, Steve Zahn, Cooper Hoffman, Willa Fitzgerald, Alessandro Nivola, and Vincent D’Onofrio.

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“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,” said Hawke. “Her work explores themes important to all artists — the intersection of creativity and faith, the blurred relationship between imagination and reality.”

As mentioned, it’s been quite a while since Hawke directed a narrative feature. Back in 2018, he released the film “Blaze,” which is a biopic about the musician, Blaze Foley. Previous to that film, Hawke helmed narrative films such as “The Hottest State” (2006) and “Chelsea Walls” (2001). Clearly, he has a passion for filmmaking but is the type of artist who takes his time finding the right stories to tell.

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You had to assume Maya Hawke would feature in one of his projects soon anyway. The young actress has seen her star power rise in a huge way thanks to a supporting role in “Stranger Things.” She’s also appeared in films such as “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” “Mainstream,” and the recent “Do Revenge.” She’s got quite a few films on the slate coming up, including Wes Anderson’s “Asteroid City” and Bradley Cooper’s “Maestro.” 

Production has just begun on “Wildcat,” so a 2024 release seems likely, unless Hawke rushes through and somehow gets it done before the end of the year. We shall see.