Hamnet is a 2025 period drama film directed by Chloé Zhao, co-written by Maggie O’Farrell and Chloé Zhao, and based on O’Farrell’s 2020 novel. The main focus of the film is the life of the Shakespeare family, the parents Agnes and William, and it goes into how the passing of their one and only son, Hamnet, a boy aged 11, affected their personal lives and gave rise to the play Hamlet.
The main stars of the film are Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal, and the film is a combination of historical fact and emotional realism.
On 29 August 2025, the film debuted at the 52nd Telluride Film Festival, and the limited theatrical release of the film in the U.S. will start on November 26 and be followed by the wide release on December 12.
Filming details of Hamnet explored
The major locations for Hamnet were spread throughout the UK. The production lasted from 29th July to 30th September 2024. London was to be the place where the production would take off in June 2024, but finally, the shooting started in Wales, and then it went to quite a few historical places in the UK.
According to a report by Discover Britain published on October 13, 2025, much of the filming for the Hamnet movie took place in Herefordshire, England, which was the setting of the film’s period outdoor scenes.
The outdoor scenes were shot in the countryside of Herefordshire; the filmmakers were able to create the outdoor surroundings of the Shakespeares’ environment in the late 1500s. More filming was done in London, where the Charterhouse was the most prominent London location used by the production.
After the historic building was converted to film-friendly Elizabethan interiors, its preserved architecture made it perfect for those scenes.
The production was supported by Hera Pictures and Neal Street Productions, and on-set producer Steven Spielberg joined the team as a producer. The director of photography was Łukasz Żal, and Max Richter was the film composer.
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What is Hamnet about and who stars in it?
It is a story about an emotional disruption at the domestic level in the life of a couple, William Shakespeare and his remarkably devout and affectionate wife, Agnes, caused by the death of their son, Hamnet Shakespeare.
The story mainly turns around this tragic event that leads the couple’s relationship to change, and William is inspired to create one of his most influential works, Hamlet.
The film, in fact, goes the extra mile to be in line with the original book themes, in which it was evident that it was a narrative dealing with the issues of grief, fortitude, and the lyrical progression coming from the bereavement.
Jesse Buckley plays the role of Agnes Shakespeare, who is seen as a spiritual and intuitive woman who is the center of the family. William Shakespeare is acted by Paul Mescal, where one sees the evolution of the playwright’s art intertwined with his personal turmoil.
Jacobi Jupe is playing the role of Hamnet Shakespeare, whose passing becomes the emotional core of the film.
Moreover, Mary Shakespeare is played by Emily Watson, and Joe Alwyn is Bartholomew Hathaway. Bodhi Rae Breathnach plays the role of Susanna Shakespeare, Olivia Lynes is Judith Shakespeare, and David Wilmot is John Shakespeare.
Noah Jupe is Hamlet, while El Simons is Ophelia. There are also additional performers such as Louisa Harland, Jack Shalloo, Sam Woolf, Freya Hannan-Mills, Dainton Anderson, Elliot Baxter, and Hera Gibson.
The movie is set to release on November 26, 2025.
Edited by Sakshi Singh
