The works ofWilliam Shakespeare, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language, have been adapted to the screen countless times over the years, including classics likeHamlet,Macbeth, andRomeo and Juliet. According to the Guinness Book of Records, there are about 410 film and television adaptations of his work, making Shakespeare the most adapted author of all time.
A few of the most famous Shakespeare adaptations include Laurence Olivier’sHamlet, Orson Welles’Macbeth(both 1948), and Baz Luhrmann’s modernizedRomeo + Juliet(1996), which brought the story to a new generation. There are alsosecret Shakespeare adaptations, such as10 Things I Hate About You(1999), inspired byThe Taming of the Shrew, andAnyone But You(2023), based onMuch Ado About Nothing.
Beyond his plays, Shakespeare’s life has been reimagined on screen.Shakespeare in Love(1998), a fictionalized romantic comedy about the playwright’s early career and love life, became a major critical and commercial success that won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and helped renew popular interest in his works. Today,Shakespeare’s enduring influence shows no signs of fading on the stage or screen.
Hamnet Reveals A First-Look Image
Hamnethas revealed a first-look image. Directed by Oscar-winner Chloé Zhao (Nomadland), who co-wrote the script with Maggie O’Farrell based on her 2020 novel, the upcoming historical drama follows afictionalized story about the life of William Shakespeare(played by Paul Mescal) and his wife, Agnes (Jessie Buckley), after the death of their 11-year-old son, Hamnet.
In addition to the two Oscar nominees in the lead roles, who received recognition forAftersun(2023) andThe Lost Daughter(2021) respectively, the latter of which also stars Mescal,Hamnet’s castalso includes two-time Oscar nominee Emily Watson (Breaking the Waves,Hilary and Jackie) Joe Alwyn, Jacobi Jupe, Jack Shalloo, and David Wilmot.
Now, viaTIFF’s website,the first look atHamnetwas revealed. The image shows Paul Mescal’s William Shakespeare and Jessie Buckley’s Agnes standing close to one another in a lush forest. The two are immersed in a seemingly tense and emotional moment, their expressions conveying a sense of shared pain or intimate conversation. Check out the image below:
What The Hamnet Image Means For The Movie
Based on its first-look image,Hamnetappears to be a lush and intimate portrait of love and loss, reminiscent of Zhao’s quietly powerfulBest Picture winnerNomadland. The film’s premise and the image’s charged stillness suggest a deeply human story, one rooted in grief. By exploring Shakespeare’s private sorrow, the film may illuminateHamletanew, revealing how tragedy shaped the pen of history’s greatest dramatist.
Hamnetwill receive a limited theatrical release on November 27 before expanding nationwide on December 12.
