Oscar-buzzy ‘Hamnet’ changed me, reveals Irish actress Jessie Buckley

Actors Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal went on a transformative journey in “Hamnet”, a film that has received rave reviews and early award season buzz. Directed by Academy Award-winning “Nomadland” filmmaker Chloe Zhao, the drama offers a fictional account of the relationship of William Shakespeare and his wife Agnes and the death of their 11-year-old son Hamnet in 1596.

Set in Stratford-upon-Avon and London, it sees the young Shakespeare teaching Latin to pay off his father’s debts and falling in love with the free-spirited Agnes, described by locals as the daughter of a forest witch. With a focus on their family life, the emotion-filled film follows the highs and lows of their love story as well as the grief over the loss of their son, which leads Shakespeare to write “Hamlet”. “What was revealed to me through her (Agnes) was a tenderness that I didn’t know I needed to learn and live in. And that tenderness has changed me,” Buckley said on Saturday at the movie’s London Film Festival premiere.

“It really reminded me of how potent and powerful storytelling can be. And it’s kind of set a bar, like, I only want to make films that are as brave and as human as this from now on,” the Irish actress said.

“Normal People”, “Aftersun” and “Gladiator II” star Mescal said the movie gave him an opportunity to portray a maturing man. Its depiction of love that transforms through time was “very moving”, he said. “It’s the first time that I’ve spanned the real length of time with him, early twenties all the way through to even a little bit in later life. It was lovely,” the Irish actor said.

The film is adapted from Maggie O’Farrell’s bestselling 2020 novel of the same name, with the author and Zhao co-writing the screenplay. It acknowledges that the names Hamlet and Hamnet were interchangeable in Shakespeare’s day. The project was an emotional one for Zhao, who was overwhelmed as she arrived at the premiere.

“If you see your DP (director of photography), your production designer, your costume designer and just start balling on the red carpet for like 20 minutes, I can’t keep it together, I think it speaks for itself,” she said. “Hamnet”, which is produced by Steven Spielberg and Sam Mendes, will be released in cinemas globally in late 2025 and early 2026.

Spielberg made a surprise appearance at the London Film Festival premiere of Chloé Zhao’s “Hamnet” on Saturday night, praising the director for her devastating historical drama. The audience at Royal Festival Hall erupted in cheers as Spielberg took the stage and explained how he first met Zhao at a dinner for Oscar-nominated directors, the year after she won the award for “Nomadland.”

“We became friends and we’d have lunch together at Amblin and I’m just amazed by her, you know,” Spielberg said before sharing what he thinks makes Zhao such a special filmmaker. “Hamnet” world premiered at the Telluride Film Festival last month, where it made a huge splash and sparked Oscar buzz.

Agencies