Having already stormed the worlds of literature and theatre, Hamnet is now getting the Hollywood treatment from award-winning director Chloé Zhao. However, she isn’t the only major name currently attached to the film. In exciting news, it was recently confirmed that Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley will star as the film’s two lead characters. The two actors both appeared in the 2021 film The Lost Daughter (alongside Olivia Colman) but didn’t share any screen time together. Until now.

The film is based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Maggie O’Farrell, who won the Women’s Prize for Fiction in 2020 and was later adapted into the hit West End play.

So, here’s everything to know so far about the film adaptation.

What is the plot of Hamnet?

Hamnet reimagines the story of Agnes – the wife of the world’s most famous writer, William Shakespeare – as she comes to terms with the loss of her son, Hamnet.

“It is a story of the bond between twins, and of a marriage pushed to the brink by grief… and an unforgettable reimagining of a boy whose life has been all but forgotten, but whose name was given to one of the most celebrated plays ever written,” reads the novel’s synopsis.

Who stars in Hamnet?

Directed by Oscar-winning Chloé Zhao (Nomadland, Eternals), the film stars Paul Mescal as a character based loosely on a young William Shakespeare, and Jessie Buckley as his wife, Anne Hathaway (named Agnes in the book).

Speaking to Vogue in January about the film, 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.”

When will Hamnet be released?

As casting details were only confirmed earlier this year, it’ll likely be a while until we see this adaptation of Hamnet on the big screen.

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