Fans 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 – have been well served of late: a critically acclaimed stage adaptation of the bestselling novel was recently on at London’s Garrick Theatre. But, there’s a big-screen iteration in the works, too, and it’s set to star none other than Oscar nominees Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley . On 1 May 2023, Deadline revealed that the two Irish actors were in talks to lead a new film based on the beloved book, which will be directed by Nomadland ’s Chloé Zhao.
The Oscar-winning auteur is penning 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 set to play a dashing young Shakespeare, naturally, while Buckley will star as the free-spirited Agnes.
Speaking to British Vogue about the project back in 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 .