According to Deadline, Oscar nominee Ethan Hawke (Training Day, Before Sunset) has signed on to helm Nook House Productions’ forthcoming documentary feature, centering on the love story of Hollywood’s iconic real-life couple and acting vets Joanne Woodward and the late Paul Newman. The project was officially authorized by the Woodward-Newman family.
“[Hawke promises a] rare and exclusive look at the careers of both actors and a complex 50-year relationship that ultimately managed to beat incredible odds,” Hawke said in a statement.
Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward’s 50-year love story began when they became colleagues in the set of 1958’s The Long, Hot Summer. Shortly after that, they both got married in Las Vegas on January 29, 1958. They were praised not only for their withstanding devotion and respect towards each other but also for being one of the few first Hollywood couples, who chose to raise their three daughters outside of California. Their marriage lasted for 50 years up until Newman’s death at the age of 83 years old in 2008.
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The docufilm will be produced by Nook House Productions’ Emily Wachtel and Lisa Long Adler along with Under the Influence Productions’ Adam Gibbs and Ryan Hawke. This project marks the second time Hawke will be directing a documentary after six years since 2014’s Seymour: An Introduction.
(Photo by Jim Spellman/WireImage via Getty Images)
