First look at Anthony Hopkins and Catherine Zeta-Jones in Wales-shot film
First images of Catherine Zeta-Jones and Anthony Hopkins’ movie ‘A Visit to Grandpa’s’ – filmed in Wales have been released.
From ‘Disturbia’ director D.J. Caruso, the film is inspired by Dylan Thomas’ much-loved short story.
Catherine Zeta-Jones has joined her fellow countryman Anthony Hopkins in the production, which began filming earlier this month.
The initial stills released show the Chicago and Wednesday star in a yellow dress serving at a bar, and The Silence of the Lambs actor bundled up in a hat and coat.
The film, also starring Welsh actors Aneurin Barnard (Dunkirk), and Aimee-Ffion Edwards (Peaky Blinders), follows a young boy sent to spend one summer with his charismatic and wildly eccentric grandfather (Hopkins) on a remote Welsh farm.
“Expecting dull days and strict rules, the boy instead stumbles into a world of delightful chaos and imagination — where outrageous stories are spun, and a world of wonder, memory, and mischief unfolds,” reads a plot synopsis.
“What begins as a reluctant visit becomes a magical journey of connection, discovery, and unexpected joy.”
American filmmaker-screenwriter Caruso is best known for his 2007 thriller Disturbia, as well as 2008’s Eagle Eye and 2024’s Mary.
A Visit to Grandpa‘s is produced by Welsh producer Huw Penallt Jones with Hannah Leader and Amory Leader. The film is a European co-production with Adler Entertainment and U-Media.
Welsh town Dolgellau has been transformed into a film set for the new movie.
The 88-year-old Welsh star takes the lead role in the film, which follows the quirky adventures of a young boy and his eccentric grandfather across one summer.
There was certainly no shortage of fans of the Oscar-winning actor who turned out for a glimpse of one of Wales’ favourite songs – as hundreds descended on the Welsh town.
According to deputy mayor Nia Wyn Evans the actor’s appearance created “a lot of excitement and a sense of pride”.
Speaking to BBC Wales, she added: “We’re used to having a lot of people around the town, but obviously we’re not used to having a production team changing our little town into a Hollywood scene.
“It was a very special experience for the whole community. He was there to have a chat with them and he just made people feel special,” she added. He came across as a very down-to-earth man who appreciated the beauty of our town.
“He had the time to talk to people which we were really pleased with – they would have been distraught if he wouldn’t have.”
The film is described by producers as ‘a whimsical, heart-stirring tale based on Dylan Thomas’s classic short story’.
The movie’s synopsis reads: When a lonely boy is sent to spend the summer with his wildly eccentric grandfather in the countryside, he expects boredom but finds magic instead. Grandpa is nothing like he imagined: impulsive, outrageous, and full of mysterious stories that blur fact and fantasy. As the days stretch on, mischief turns to meaning, and their unexpected bond becomes a lifeline for them both. With Hopkins set to deliver a career- defining performance, this is a funny and deeply moving journey through memory, imagination and the strange magic of family.
No release date has yet been set for the film, which is directed by DJ Caruso who called it “one of the great honours of my directorial life” to bring Dylan Thomas’ story to life alongside Sir Anthony Hopkins.
See more images from the film shoot in Dolgellau via https://www.photography.wales/
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