The film hits theaters this Thursday, January 15th
director Chloé Zhao’s film is one of the strongest names among the 2026 Oscar nominations.
Inspired by the award-winning book by Maggie O’Farrell, the film was the big winner at the Toronto International Film Festival, according to the public’s choice, and is one of the favorites in the awards race after its international screenings. Furthermore, it was the closing film of the 2025 Rio Festival, in Rio de Janeiro.
Produced by Oscar winners Steven Spielberg and Sam Mendes, “Hamnet: A Life Before Hamlet” (Hamnet) has a script by Maggie O’Farrell and Chloé Zhao, also responsible for directing. The film features Paul Mescal, from “Gladiator II”, and Jessie Buckley, from “Entre Mulheres”, in performances acclaimed by international critics.
The plot follows Agnes (Jessie Buckley), wife of William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal), as she faces the pain of losing her son, Hamnet. Emotional and deeply human, the film explores the strength of grief and the capacity for reframing, at the same time, revealing the background to the creation of “Hamlet”, the English playwright’s most famous work.
The film hits theaters this Thursday, January 15th.
