Catherine Zeta-Jones joins Anthony Hopkins in new Dylan Thomas film — shot in Wales

Two of Wales’s most celebrated actors are reuniting on screen – Catherine Zeta-Jones has joined Sir Anthony Hopkins in a new film adaptation of a Dylan Thomas short story, with filming already underway in Wales.

A Visit to Grandpa’s follows a young boy sent to spend a summer with his charismatic and wildly eccentric grandfather on a remote Welsh farm.

Expecting dull days and strict rules, the boy instead finds himself drawn into a world of storytelling, imagination and mischief.

New first-look images show Zeta-Jones as an as-yet unnamed character – pictured behind a bar in period costume – while Sir Anthony appears as the grandfather, a white-bearded figure with a walking stick in an outdoor rural setting.

The film is directed by DJ Caruso, whose previous credits include Disturbia and Mary. The script was written by Ken Aguado, and filming began on 7 April in Wales.

Hundreds of people gathered in Dolgellau, Gwynedd, earlier this month to watch production in progress.

The cast also includes Aneurin Barnard, known to Welsh audiences for his role in Dunkirk, alongside Artie Wilkinson-Hunt, Geraldine James and Aimee-Ffion Edwards, who starred in Slow Horses.

Speaking to Deadline, Sir Anthony said: “This is a powerful and profoundly beautiful story, one that allows me to return to my Welsh roots while exploring the remarkable vision and prose of Dylan Thomas.”

Director Caruso called it one of the great honours of his career to bring the story to screen alongside Sir Anthony.

The short story the film is based on – first published in 1938 – tells of a young boy visiting his grandfather in the Carmarthenshire countryside.

Expecting to be bored, the boy instead becomes fascinated by the old man’s eccentricities – including the moment the whole village grows concerned about the grandfather heading to Llanstephan “with his waistcoat on.”

The story appeared in Thomas’s celebrated 1940 collection Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dog.

Dylan Thomas was born in Swansea in 1914 and is arguably Wales’s most celebrated writer and poet. His best-known works include Under Milk Wood and Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night. He died in New York in 1953 aged 39.

His influence stretches far beyond Wales – singer-songwriter Bob Dylan took his stage name from Thomas, former US president Jimmy Carter had a lifelong passion for his work, and Taylor Swift name-dropped the poet on her 2024 album The Tortured Poets Department.

The film is set to be shown at the Cannes Film Festival later this year.

More on Wales’s biggest stars

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Catherine Zeta-Jones Joins Anthony Hopkins in DJ Caruso’s ‘A Visit to Grandpa’s’; First Look Unveiled

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Catherine Zeta-Jones Joins Anthony Hopkins in First Look at Wales-Set ‘A Visit to Grandpa’s’
#MovieNews #Movies #AnthonyHopkins #CatherineZetaJones #International #Unitedkingdom

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Catherine Zeta-Jones Joins Anthony Hopkins In ‘A Visit To Grandpa’s’
#News #AVisittoGrandpas #AnthonyHopkins #CannesMarket #CatherineZetaJones

https://deadline.com/2026/04/catherine-zeta-jones-anthony-hopkins-a-visit-to-grandpas-1236875626/

Catherine Zeta-Jones Joins Anthony Hopkins in DJ Caruso’s ‘A Visit to Grandpa’s’; First Look Unveiled
#Variety #Global #News #AnthonyHopkins #CannesFilmFestival #CatherineZetajones

https://variety.com/2026/film/global/catherine-zeta-jones-anthony-hopkins-a-visit-to-grandpas-1236732953/

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Es gibt so Filme, die sich als Emanzipationsgeschichte verkleiden und dabei vor doch allem eines befreien wollen, nämlich das eigene Gewissen. Das hier ist einer, der mit wehenden Capes und funkelnden Klingen eine koloniale Vergangenheit inszeniert und dabei so tut, als ließe sich Gewaltgeschichte mit Charme, Witz und einem sexy sitzenden Schnurrbart auflösen. Als Bühne eines Spektakels, das die Machtverhältnisse zwar benennt, aber nie wirklich zerlegt. Es bleibt bei der Pose. Und doch lieb‘ ich den Film. Mit Antonio Banderas, Anthony Hopkins und Catherine Zeta Jones. (ZDF, Wh.)

The Swansea stage that made Catherine Zeta‑Jones: Theatre company marks 125 years of star‑making magic

Swansea Amateur Operatic Society (SAOS), now celebrating a show‑stopping 125 years, isn’t just a local theatre group. It’s a star factory — a place where Hollywood careers began, West End legends were born, and generations of Swansea talent took their first steps into the spotlight.

And as they prepare to mark their milestone with a blockbuster production of We Will Rock You, the society is lifting the curtain on the remarkable story behind the stars.

Where Catherine Zeta‑Jones began

One of the most striking images released to Swansea Bay News shows a young Catherine Zeta‑Jones in the children’s chorus of The King and I in 1981 — third row from the top, three from the left — long before she became one of Wales’ most famous global exports.

Before the Oscars, before Broadway, before Hollywood, she was a Swansea girl on a Swansea stage, learning her craft with SAOS.

It’s a connection the society is fiercely proud of — and one that cements its place in the cultural history of the city.

The teenage Ria Jones who stunned Swansea

Another newly shared photo shows a 15‑year‑old Ria Jones as Eliza Doolittle in the 1982 SAOS production of My Fair Lady — a role that hinted at the West End career to come.

Jones would go on to become one of the UK’s most respected musical theatre performers, but her roots are right here, in the amateur ranks of Swansea.

She is one of many who made the leap from SAOS to the professional stage.

A roll‑call of Welsh talent

SAOS has been the launchpad for a remarkable list of performers, including:

• Catherine Zeta‑Jones – Hollywood star
• Ria Jones – West End leading lady
• Menna Trussler – acclaimed actress
• Richard Burman – professional performer
• Leo Andrews – stage and screen
• Julie Paton – choreographer and performer
• Derek Cullen – hailed as one of Wales’ finest male dancers

For a society founded in 1876, the legacy is astonishing — and still growing.

The Victorian roots of a modern powerhouse

The company began life as the St David’s Players, founded by Rev. Canon A.P. Wilson and musical visionary W.F. Hulley.

Hulley made history in 1880 by staging the UK’s first‑ever amateur performance of a Gilbert & Sullivan opera, Trial by Jury, right here in Swansea.

By 1901, the group had become the Swansea Amateur Operatic Society — a name that would become synonymous with the city’s cultural life.

They even performed at Madame Patti’s newly built theatre at Craig‑y‑Nos Castle in 1891, with Hulley providing the chorus for the opera legend herself.

The legends who ruled the Swansea stage

For older members, the names Jean Thorley and Colin Hodges still carry a kind of mythic weight.

They were so adored that audiences would applaud before they even spoke — a level of local stardom that only a century‑old community institution can create.

A new generation takes the reins

Today, SAOS continues to evolve.

Musical Director Dani Gravell, who joined the society at 14, has become the first female MD in its 125‑year history.

“This group is family,” she said. “To be the first woman to hold this role has made me quite emotional.”

Artistic Director Ashley Eynon‑Davies says this year’s anniversary production is their most ambitious in years.

“We’re celebrating with a huge, high‑energy We Will Rock You,” he said. “It reflects how the company continues to go from strength to strength.”

Vice Chair Elizabeth Melville says the society’s survival now depends on community support.

“Amateur theatre is a lifeline,” she said. “But we rely on ticket sales. We hope Swansea will support its musical theatre heritage for many years to come.”

A blockbuster anniversary show

SAOS will mark its 125th year with We Will Rock You at the Taliesin Arts Centre from 20–23 May 2026, including a BSL‑interpreted matinee.

With Queen anthems, a huge cast and a legacy stretching back to the Victorian era, it promises to be one of the biggest amateur productions Swansea has seen in years.

And who knows — the next Catherine Zeta‑Jones or Ria Jones may already be waiting in the wings.

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