‘Hamnet’ By Chloe Zhao.
The Oscar winning “Nomadland” director Chloe Zhao is set to direct an adaptation of ‘Hamnet’ for Amblin Partners and Hera Pictures. Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley are set to star in the lead roles. The film is based on the 2020 novel by Maggie O’Farrell of the same name which features a fictional story about William Shakespeare and his wife Agnes. Zhao will adapt the screenplay alongside O’Farrell. Steven Spielberg and Sam Mendes are producers on the pic. Focus Features acquired the film in August.
In May 2023, the two best Irish working actors, Paul Mescal (Gladiator II) and Jessie Buckley (I’m Thinking Of Ending Things) entered negotiations to star in the film. Mescal confirmed in a January 2024 interview that he would play a young Shakespeare and Buckley would play his free spirited wife Agnes Shakespeare. Joe Alwyn (Kinds Of Kindness) and Emily Watson (Punch-Drunk Love) would be added to the cast in August.
Synopsis: The historical fiction novel imagines the story of Agnes — the wife of the world’s most famous writer, William Shakespeare set during the Black Plague in 1580’s England- as she struggles to come to terms with the loss of their only son, Hamnet who was 11. The novel charts the emotional, familial and artistic consequences of that loss, bringing to life a human and heart-stopping story as the backdrop to the creation of one of his most famous plays- Hamlet.
A stage production of Maggie O’Farrell’s novel was announced in November 2022 at London’s Garrick Theatre, with the film rights having been acquired by the London-based Neal Street Productions by March 2023. In April, Chloe Zhao was hired to direct the film, and would write the screenplay alongside O’Farrell. Zhao replaced the original director, Sam Mendes, who now has to shoot four Beatles films. Mendes will remain on as a producer.
Principal photography was originally scheduled to begin on 3rd June 2024 in London. Production instead began on 29 July 2024, in Wales. “Hamnet” is one of many high-profile productions shooting in the UK right now, alongside Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Bugonia” and Marvel’s “The Fantastic Four”.
Focus Features has taken U.S rights on “Hamnet” and will be a creative partner on the project. Focus’ owner Universal Pictures will handle international distribution.
Zhao also has her “Dracula” western in the works, which won’t be filming until at least next year. she’s coming off her clunker MCU film “Eternals”. after that, the Oscar winner took a break before hopping on “Hamnet” and replacing original director Sam Mendes.
Speaking to British Vogue about the project in January, Mescal said; “That book — it’s just devastating. I can’t wait. If I told a younger version of myself that this would be [shooting] this year, I wouldn’t believe it. I’ve obviously been in a film with Jessie before [The Lost Daughter] but we’ve never shared the screen or a working process together. I think she’s one of our present-day greats […]”
Lukasz Zal is the cinematographer on ‘Hamnet’. The Polish DP’s past credit include “I’m Thinking Of Ending Things” starring Jessie Buckley and 2023’s brilliant “The Zone Of Interest”.
We could expect Zhao to bring “Hamnet” to Venice next year.
