The Last Movie Stars Trailer: Ethan Hawke Digs Into The History Of Paul Newman And Joanne Woodward

Late last year brought news of a forthcoming Paul Newman memoir, based on an unfinished manuscript found in the legendary actor's house after he died in 2008. Alfred A. Knopf is said to be publishing it this fall, but before then, you'll be able to get another window into the life of Newman and his famous wife and fellow Oscar-winning actor, Joanne Woodward, courtesy of the star-studded, six-part HBO Max docuseries, "The Last Movie Stars."

Directed by Ethan Hawke and executive produced by Martin Scorsese, "The Last Movie Stars" was originally meant to prop up the CNN+ streaming service, which shut down only a month after its launch. The series features the involvement of several other high-profile names, including George Clooney and Laura Linney, who will help bring to life transcripts of some of Newman and Woodward's candid conversations.

As part of his memoir project, Newman had recorded these conversations and over a hundred interviews with people like Robert Redford — who co-starred with him in "The Sting" and "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" — and director John Huston, who collaborated with him on "The MacKintosh Man" and "The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean." However, he destroyed the tapes and abandoned the memoir, and it wasn't until years later that it and the transcripts were discovered.

In addition to Clooney and Linney, Zoe Kazan, Billy Crudup, Josh Hamilton, Steve Zahn, Bobby Cannavale, Sam Rockwell, and Brooks Ashmanskas are listed among "the players" who will lend their voices to "The Last Movie Stars." You can see their talking heads Zooming with Hawke in the trailer below, along with that of Alessandro Nivola, Ewan McGregor, Oscar Isaac, LaTanya Jackson, Sally Field, Karen Allen, and Vincent D'Onofrio.

In the trailer, Hawke reveals that "The Last Movie Stars" began life when one of Newman and Woodward's children reached out to him before the pandemic. He subsequently assembled a murderer's row of talent for "a play with voices" that will tell Newman and Woodward's untold story. If you want to know more about one of Hollywood's most lasting power couples and are in the mood for a documentary series about "beautiful people with beautiful problems," as the Lana Del Rey and Stevie Nicks song that plays over the trailer characterizes them, you can tune into "The Last Movie Stars" on HBO Max later this month.

Here's the full synopsis of "The Last Movie Stars:"

The Last Movie Stars is an epic 6-part documentary from CNN Films and HBO Max that chronicles Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward's iconic careers and decades-long partnership. Director Ethan Hawke brings life and color to this definitive history of their dedication to their art, philanthropy and each other. Through long lost transcriptions of interviews with Paul, Joanne and those close to them, brought to life by the voices of contemporary actors, we're given an intimate front row seat to the lives and careers of the couple that would go on to forge an unmatched cultural legacy. Academy Award-winning director, writer and producer Martin Scorsese serves as executive producer.

"The Last Movie Stars" premieres on HBO Max on July 21, 2022.