Full trailer for “Hamnet” by Chloé Zhao starring Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal
by Alex Billington
October 9, 2025
Source: YouTube
“What should I do?” “Keep your heart open…” Focus Features has revealed the full official trailer for the film Hamnetone of the most acclaimed films of the year so far. Hamnet is the latest feature film directed by the Oscar-winning actor Chloe Zhaofollowing his work on Marvel’s Ethernelsit is what amounts to creating something more meaningful and more intimate. Hamnet tells the powerful story of love and loss that inspired the creation of Shakespeare’s timeless masterpiece, Hamlet. Jessie Buckley plays the role of Agnes Shakespeare, Paul Mescal as William Shakespeare put it in the 16th century. It tells the story of Agnes, the wife of William Shakespeare, as she struggles to come to terms with the loss of her only son, Hamnet. A human and moving story as a backdrop to the creation of Shakespeare’s most famous play, Hamlet. TIFF describes it as a look at how The Bard wasn’t a cold genius, he was “a real man whose literary prowess was irrevocably influenced by his domestic life.” The full cast includes Joe Alwyn, Emilie Watson, Jacobi Skirt, Jack Shalloo, David Wilmot. With a wonderful score by Max Richter. This one has received nothing but stellar reviews since its premiere at Telluride and TIFF, and will be shown in theaters beginning in November/December. Take a look.
Here is the main official trailer (+ poster) for Chloé Zhao’s film Hamnetfrom Focus Features YouTube:
You can rewatch the initial trailer for Chloe Zhao. Hamnet film here for a first look.
Introduction via TIFF: “In William Shakespeare’s time, names Hamlet & Hamnet were interchangeable. Chloé Zhao’s new film uses this context as the basis for a tender exploration of Shakespeare’s domestic life, connecting a family tragedy with one of his most famous works. Perhaps we can understand Hamlet better, Zhao suggests, when we consider that it was developed while the most famous writer in the Western canon was mourning the death of his 11-year-old son, Hamnet. Based on the novel by Maggie O’Farrell, the main character of Hamnet is not the Bard – played here by an impressive Paul Mescal – or even the child who gives the film its name. Hamnet belongs to Agnes – Shakespeare’s caring wife, played by a fascinating Jessie Buckley, who bathes the film with her warmth. Many historical accounts preface reports of Hamnet’s death with statistics on the frequency of infant mortality in the 16th century, as if this barely had an impact. Hamnet rejects this premise, showing Shakespeare not as a distant, untouchable genius, but as a real man whose literary prowess was irrevocably influenced by his domestic environment. [family] life.“
Hamnet is directed by the Oscar-winning Chinese filmmaker Chloe Zhaofilm director Songs My Brothers Taught Me, The rider, Neitherand Marvel Ethernels previously. The screenplay is written by Maggie O’Farrell and Chloe Zhao; adapted from the book by Maggie O’Farrell also titled “Hamnet”. Produced by Liza Marshall, Pippa Harris, Nicolas Gonda, Sam Mendes, Steven Spielberg. It will premiere at the Telluride and Toronto 2025 film festivals this fall. Focus Features will next debut Chloe Zhao Hamnet film in select US theaters starting at November 27, 2025Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, later this year, before a wide expansion into more theaters coming in December during awards season. What does this trailer look like?
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