If you’re a fan of Maggie O’Farrell’s Hamnet – the lyrical, atmospheric and ultimately tragic tale of Shakespeare’s only son, Hamnet, who died at the age of just 11 – then I have good news: a big-screen adaptation is on its way, and it stars none other than Oscar nominees Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley.
Back in May of 2023, Deadline revealed that the two Irish actors were in talks to lead a new film based on the beloved book, which would be directed by Nomadland’s Chloé Zhao. The Oscar-winning auteur has penned the script alongside O’Farrell herself, which suggests that the plot will cleave closely to that of its source material. The latter gives a rich and moving account of the beginning of Shakespeare’s relationship with his wife, the enchanting Agnes, as well as their son Hamnet’s illness, sudden death and the devastating impact it has on his parents. Mescal is playing a dashing young Shakespeare, naturally, while Buckley stars as the free-spirited Agnes.
Speaking to British Vogue about the project last 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 [Maggie Gyllenhaal’s 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. And Chloé is somebody I can’t wait to get in the weeds with, and get into the heads of those characters.”
Now, we finally have the first stills – which boast intricate period costumes and meticulous production design – as well as a rousing first trailer.
Look out for the film in cinemas on 9 January 2026 – and, all being well, at the Oscars a few months after that.
