Biopicshave a tendency to lure the attention of audiences, and more often than not, keep it in a positive light. These projects tell the tale of lives of prominent individuals, and being offered the opportunity to look underneath the hood and see the struggles they’ve had to endure is one most viewers can’t pass on.Wildcatis a new biopic in that same pipeline, and the film has released its first image.
Wildcatis set to explore the painfully short but fervently impactful life of Southern writerFlannery O’Connor. The biopic will cover her days as a struggling up-and-coming novelist before going on to write several novels, includingA Good Man Is Hard to Find, and Other Stories,arguably the author’s most notable work and magnum opus.WildcatstarsMaya Hawkeas O’Connor and the actress is featured as the renowned author in the first image. The image shows Hawke’s O’Connor perusing a piece of paper in front of her mailbox.
The production ofWildcatwill offerthe opportunity for a father and daughterworking relationship, withEthan Hawkedirecting his daughter in his latest directorial effort. It would mark the first time the father has directed theStranger Thingsstar in production. “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,” Hawke said about the project when it was announced. “Her work explores themes important to all artists — the intersection of creativity and faith, the blurred relationship between imagination and reality.”
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Who Was Flannery O’Connor?
Diagnosed with lupus and battling it for a number of years, the author was a devout Catholic from Milledgeville, Georgia who was invited to the prestigious Iowa Writers’ Workshop. O’Connor went on to fame for her short fiction stories about faith and the American South, which were usually seen as offbeat. Her works force readers to undergo a sometimes deep, harsh and revealing introspection of oneself. Having died at 39, much of her fame has been posthumous, however, just like with her writings, her characterhas been questioned in recent times.
Hawke directs off a script co-written byShelby Gaines. with the biopic boasting a star-studded cast comprised ofVincent D’Onofrio,Steve Zahn, andLaura Linneywho stars as Flannery’s mother.Wildcatpremieres at TIFF in September.
