With filming already underway in Wales, some fresh details have surfaced regarding Chloe Zhao‘s next directorial effort, Hamnet. It will be another star-studded affair in Zhao‘s portfolio, as the epic drama has added two famous names to the casting in Emily Watson and Joe Alwyn. The duo will play currently unknown supporting roles alongside previously announced Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley who star opposite each other as main characters William and Agnes Shakespeare. The project reunites Watson with Mescal, who recently portrayed a complex mother-son dynamic in the psychological drama, God’s Creatures.
Hamnet is a fictional telling of a tragic story involving world-famous playwright William Shakespeare and his wife Agnes. Coinciding with the point when Shakespeare’s writing career was about to take off, the young couple lost their only son, Hamnet, at just 11 years old in 1596. The story will navigate a dark time in their lives as they struggle to come to terms with their shared grief. The film is an adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s New York Times best-selling historical fiction novel of the same name, which “charts the emotional, familial and artistic consequences of that loss, bringing to life a human and heart-stopping story.” O’Farrell‘s masterpiece also served as the backdrop for the creation of Shakespeare‘s acclaimed play, Hamlet.
O’Farrell adapted the script alongside Zhao, who directs following the success of her work on Marvel‘s Eternals and Nomadland. The project equally has some powerhouse names behind-the-scenes with producers including Sam Mendes and Steven Spielberg as well as Liza Marshall and Pippa Harris. Executive producers include Kristie Macosko Krieger, Nic Gonda, and Laurie Borg. Focus Features recently snapped up the domestic distribution rights for the film while Universal will handle international distribution, however, a release date is yet to be set.
Emily Watson and Joe Alwyn Have Both Been A Part of Recently Acclaimed Features
Both one of the finest actors of their generation, Watson and Alwyn are both highly in-demand talents with a string of successful projects between them. Watson is known for her diverse on-screen works with recent credits including the critically acclaimed drama, God’s Creatures, which boasts an impressive 89% Tomatometer rating, as well as the historical drama, Small Things like These where her performance won her the Silver Bear for Best Supporting Performance at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival. She will next be seen in the Dune prequel series, Dune: The Sisterhood which will center around the Bene Gesserit.
Alwyn recently dazzled as part of the large ensemble for Yorgos Lanthimos‘ Kinds of Kindness and recently wrapped filming for the upcoming historical drama, The Brutalist. He also recently completed filming for Hamlet, a feature adaptation of the famous Shakespeare play where he portrayed Ophelia’s brother Laertes.
Hamnet is yet without a release date, but speculations point towards 2025.
via Collider