Anthony Hopkins has been cast as George Frideric Handel in a new biopic titled The King of Covent Garden.
Per The Hollywood Reporter, Hopkins will play the German-British Baroque composer in The King of Covent Garden, a forthcoming biopic being directed by Andrew Levitas.
According to The Hollywood Reporter’s article, the film will revolve around Handel making his 1741 oratorio Messiah. “A powerfully majestic celebration of genius breaking all the rules to create an anthem inspiring the popular imagination of global audiences,” the description reads.
Tim Slover wrote the screenplay for The King of Covent Garden, while Dan Lupovitz and Kevan Van Thompson are producing. Opera star Katherine Jenkins is executive producing and is a musical advisor for the movie, while Peter Touche also serves as an executive producer.
The King of Covent Garden is headed to the Cannes Film Market later this month. A release date has not yet been set, though The Hollywood Reporter says it is “eyeing a late fall 2025 release.”
What other movies has Andrew Levitas made?
Levitas is known for writing and directing 2014’s Lullaby and 2020’s Minamata. He has also produced films such as 2018’s The White Crow, 2018’s Farming, 2019’s Georgetown, 2019’s My Zoe, 2020’s Last Moment of Clarity, and 2021’s The Gateway.
Hopkins recently played Nicholas Winton in the 2023 biopic One Life. He also played Sigmund Freud in 2023’s Freud’s Last Session, while he voiced the character of Jimmy in Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon — Part One: A Child of Fire and Rebel Moon — Part Two: The Scargiver.
He’ll next be seen in Those About to Die, an upcoming sword-and-sandal television series premiering on Peacock this July that is being directed by Independence Day’s Roland Emmerich. Additionally, he’s playing King Herod in a new biblical epic that recently wrapped production titled Mary.
