Maya Hawke is a young actress on the rise, but is she a leading lady yet? “Wildcat” will change that, as Hawke plays novelist Flannery O’Connor. But “Wilder & Me” will solidify the position for the actress, arguably her biggest role yet. As Hanway Films starts sales for the picture, the package for “Wilder & Me” should get people’s attention fast. Along with Hawke in the leading role, the film also sees Christoph Waltz play legendary director Billy Wilder, with John Turturro and Jon Hamm in supporting roles. Oh, and Stephen Frears directs; sound amazing to anyone else?
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Christopher Hampton adapts Jonathan Coe‘s 2020 novel for the big screen, about a young musician who falls in with Wilder as he sets out to shoot his 1978 film “Fedora” in Europe. The summer in the Greek islands changes both of them forever.
Here’s an official synopsis for “Wilder & Me,” courtesy of Hanway:
WILDER & ME is the coming-of-age story of Calista, a young musician backpacking in Los Angeles, when she meets legendary director Billy Wilder and his screenwriter I.A.L. Diamond, and finds herself invited to work on the set of their movie “Fedora” on Corfu.
Over one heady Greek summer, Calista falls in love with cinema and life on a journey of self-discovery. Thrilled by her new adventure, Calista follows Billy to Munich and Paris to continue the shoot with leading actor William Holden, and experiences her first love. Realising his star is on the wane, Billy navigates the changing world of cinema in the twilight of his career, while Calista’s career is just beginning. The time she spends in this glamorous, unfamiliar new life will change her forever.
Jeremy Thomas produces “Wilder & Me” through Recorded Picture Company, which looks to start shooting in early 2025. It’s the second time Frears and Thomas work together after the 1980s crime drama “The Hit.” CAA Media Finance handles the film’s North American rights, while Hanway deals with the international ones. It’s worth noting that “Wilder & Me” sees Hampton and Frears team up for the third time, after “Dangerous Liaisons” and “Cheri.”
Frears sounds excited about his upcoming film, saying in a press statement, “This is the most wonderful project. Wilder was sharp, clever and very very funny. And he directed Marilyn Monroe twice! Christoph Waltz will be magnificent. I always go by the script and this one is terrific.” As for Thomas, he added, “Billy Wilder has filled us all with the joy of cinema with some of the most memorable movies ever made. Told through the eyes of a young woman on the set of one of Billy’s last films, our story shows why they still hold so much magic.”
As noted earlier, Fears plan to shoot “Wilder & Me” early next year. That means 2025 could be a big year for Ms. Hawke, as the final season of “Stranger Things” will likely premiere next year, too.
