The Courier-Journal (Louisville)
How to see ‘Wildcat,’ the Ethan Hawke film shot around Louisville
Louisville was abuzz with celebrity sightings long before the 2024 Kentucky Derby.
We were happy to see multiple reports of local fans who were able to meet actor, write, and director Ethan Hawke while he was out and about during his filming of “Wildcat” in and around the city.
The award-winning actor known for “Dead Poets Society,” “Reality Bites,” “Gattaca,” “Training Day” and the “Before” trilogy visited many local attractions and businesses including the Louisville Zoo, Four Pegs Smokehouse & Bar, Le Moo, Morning Fork and more.
Directed and co-written by Hawke, “Wildcat” stars his daughter, actor Maya Hawke, and tells the story of famed writer Flannery O’Connor as she struggles to publish her first novel.
In 1950, Flannery (Maya Hawke) visits her mother, Regina (Laura Linney), in Georgia when she is diagnosed with lupus at 24 years old. Struggling with the same disease that took her father’s life when she was a child and desperate to make her mark as a great writer, this crisis pitches her imagination into a feverish exploration of belief.
As she dives deeper into her craft, the lines between reality, imagination and faith begin to blur, allowing Flannery to ultimately come to peace with her situation and heal a strained relationship with her mother.
“Wildcat” also stars actors Vincent D’Onofrio and Steve Zahn.
For those who met Hawke while he was working in Louisville, or if you are excited to see your city on film, the finished product is showing locally beginning Thursday, May 16, at The Speed Museum Cinema, 2035 S. Third St. “Wildcat” will screen a total of 16 times at the location through Sunday, May 26. Tickets are $6 for museum members and $12 for non-members.
For more information, visit speedmuseum.org.
Reach features reporter Kirby Adams at kadams@courier-journal.com.