Filmmaker Chloé Zhao’s latest film, Hamnet, draws inspiration from Maggie O’Farrell’s 2020 bestselling novel and centers on the tragic death of William Shakespeare’s son, Hamnet. The idea for the movie took shape after Zhao met Paul Mescal, the film’s lead, at a film festival, sparking a collaboration that shaped the project’s direction.
At the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival, Zhao recounted to TheWrap’s Sharon Waxman that Amblin Partners had approached her to adapt the novel. Although initially hesitant, Zhao was persuaded to take on the adaptation after meeting Mescal at the Telluride Film Festival, which proved decisive in her commitment to the film.
How Mescal’s Influence Sparked Zhao’s Creative Vision
Zhao shared that meeting Mescal was a moment that deeply moved her. She compared the experience to discovering Brady Jandreau, the rodeo rider featured in her 2018 film The Rider.
“I met with him by the creek. I was looking at him talking…it’s a little bit like when I met Brady, the cowboy from ‘The Rider,’”
Zhao said, highlighting the authenticity Mescal brought to the project.
It was Mescal who encouraged Zhao to read O’Farrell’s novel, and during her reading, she envisioned Mescal and Jessie Buckley as Shakespeare and his wife, Agnes. Before writing the script, she had the actors engage in chemistry tests through improvised scenes based on the book, which affirmed her intuition about their fit for the roles.
Zhao’s Journey Through Diverse Cinematic Landscapes
Following critical acclaim for The Rider, Zhao won the Best Director Oscar for Nomadland, which also took home the Best Picture award. She then ventured into blockbuster territory with Marvel’s Eternals. With Hamnet, Zhao sought a fresh challenge that was distinct not only in subject but in scope and style.
Reflecting on her artistic evolution, Zhao stated,
“With the first four films, I chased a lot of sunsets, lots of horizons. I went far and wide, and I knew at midlife, with a lot of things that was going on in my own life, I needed to descend.”
She added,
“I needed to have one stage, one room, one family, and there’s no sunsets in ‘Hamnet.’ I needed that kind of depth in my own life. So making the film was exhilarating because of that.”
The Deeper Meaning Behind Hamnet and Its Connection to Shakespeare
O’Farrell’s novel gave Zhao a renewed understanding of Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, suggesting that the Bard’s tragedy could be rooted in his grief over his son’s death. Zhao believes this personal loss profoundly influenced Shakespeare’s exploration of mortality and impermanence.
She explained,
“The discomfort of impermanence makes so many of us afraid to live and to love and to feel. I think Shakespeare was definitely touching on that in a really deep level in ‘Hamlet,’ and Maggie assumed the name resemblance and the timing the death of his son must have some influence on this and his attempt to try to make sense of impermanence.”
Anticipation Builds for the Film’s Thanksgiving Weekend Release
Hamnet is set to be released by Focus Features during the Thanksgiving weekend, promising audiences a thoughtful portrayal of loss, love, and family. As Zhao moves into this more intimate storytelling space, her collaboration with Paul Mescal plays a significant role in bringing the project to life, marking another milestone in her varied directorial career.
