Before Brangelina and many other power couples made headlines in Hollywood, movie stars Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward went down in history as one of the best celebrity couples the world has ever seen — at least, that’s what Ethan Hawke intends to show with The Last Movie Stars, a six-part documentary series he’s directing for CNN+ and HBO Max. The project is set to tell the story of how Newman and Woodward, despite being immensely famous, didn’t let it cloud their worldview.
The Last Movie Stars is set to chronicle the lives, careers, and relationship of the two actors, and tell the story of how Newman and Woodward used their influence to make small films and passion projects that would otherwise never see the light of day, as well as how they put philanthropy and social justice ahead of red carpet premieres. The documentary series also features the contribution of renowned filmmaker Martin Scorsese, who acts as executive producer.
Hawke, who has a long career as an actor and was nominated four times for Academy Awards, has tried his hand at directing on a few occasions, most recently with 2018’s biopic Blaze. This is not his first time directing a documentary, though: in 2014, Hawke helmed Seymour: An Introduction, a film that told the story of one of the most prominent pianists and composers of modern times, Seymour Bernstein.
When talking about The Last Movie Stars, Hawke revealed he felt overwhelmingly inspired by the couple's story the more he dug into it:
“Exploring Woodward and Newman through their 50-year love affair has proven more rewarding than I could have imagined. Their work, philanthropy, and lives serve as a kind of North Star, illuminating what a substantive, meaningful life can look like.”
Ten-time Academy Award nominee Paul Newman was one of the most prominent actors of his generation. He was in classics like The Color of Money, Cool Hand Luke, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, What a Way to Go!, and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. He also founded Newman’s Own, a food company that donated over $500 million to charity. Woodward, his wife of fifty years, is considered one of the last representatives of the Golden Age of Hollywood, having earned respect for portraying complex women during an era in which female characters were mostly caricatures. A four-time Academy Award Nominee, she won the Oscar for her very first nomination, for her role as Eve White in The Three Faces of Eve. Born in 1930, the actor is still alive and living in Connecticut, where she lived and raised a family with the late Newman.
CNN+ has yet to announce a premiere date for The Last Movie Stars. After premiering exclusively on the streamer, the series will later become available at HBO Max.