Levon Hawke Lands First Lead Role Opposite Anthony Hopkins in 'Twenty-Seven'

Levon Hawke will star opposite two-time Academy Award winner Anthony Hopkins in the indie drama "Twenty-Seven," now in production in Los Angeles. The project, written and directed by Gregory Caruso, marks the first lead role for Hawke, the 27-year-old actor and composer who is the son of Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman.

Hawke plays a 27-year-old aspiring screenwriter managing his relationships and his OCD while struggling to break into the film industry. Hopkins plays his friend and mentor, an 80-year-old television actor-turned-theater professor who is also fighting Parkinson's disease.

What has the director said about the casting?

"I wrote this character hoping someone like Anthony Hopkins would play him. I never imagined it would actually be Anthony Hopkins," said Caruso.

He added: "He brings a mastery to the role I still can't fully describe, and Levon meets him in every scene with real vulnerability and intelligence. At its heart, 'Twenty-Seven' is about the uncertainty of growing up, feeling stuck between where you are and where you want to be, and the people who help you find your way."

Who is making the film?

"Twenty-Seven" comes from Caruso's Bristol Pictures. David Worthen Brooks ("Misty Green," "Appendage") produces alongside Dustin Cook ("Flock of Four," "The Frontier").

The crew includes:

• Director of photography Matthew Pothier ("Mutt")
• Production designer Emma Rose Mead ("To Leslie")
• Costume designer Jenny Eagan ("Knives Out")
• Hair and makeup leads Mandy Artusato and Gina Marie DeAngelis ("One Battle After Another")
• Editor Aleshka Ferrero ("Euphoria")
• Casting director Vickie Thomas ("Michael," "Misty Green")

The short version: a first-time lead is backed by a craft team drawn from some of the most decorated recent credits in independent film.

Who is Levon Hawke?

Hawke made his feature debut in Zoë Kravitz's 2024 thriller "Blink Twice" and appeared in the Apple TV series "The Crowded Room." He then joined the Peter Dinklage-starring western "The Thicket" and appeared in "Wildcat," directed by his father and starring his sister Maya Hawke.

In 2024, Hawke made his directorial debut with the play "Picture Day." He followed it with roles in Josh Safdie's Oscar-nominated "Marty Supreme" and Hayley Kiyoko's coming-of-age film "Girls Like Girls." He will next appear in A24's "Peaked" and in season two of the Prime Video series "Mr. & Mrs. Smith." Hawke is represented by CAA and HJTH.

What is Hopkins doing now?

Hopkins' career spans "The Silence of the Lambs," "Bram Stoker's Dracula," "The Remains of the Day," "Nixon," "Amistad" and "Meet Joe Black." He recently released his debut album, "Life is a Dream," and has several projects in the works: D.J. Caruso's "A Visit to Grandpa's," Richard Eyre's "Housekeeper" and Guy Ritchie's "Wife & Dog." Hopkins is represented by UTA and GGSSC.

A first lead for Hawke, paired with an 87-year-award-career legend in a two-hander about illness and ambition, positions "Twenty-Seven" as a title to watch on the festival circuit.