Legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg slipped into London’s Royal Festival Hall this evening to present Chloé Zhao’s film. Hamnethis final credit as a producer, in front of a packed audience at the London Film Festival.
Spielberg appeared alongside filmmaker Sam Mendes, fresh from currently filming his upcoming Beatles biopic, who is also a producer on Hamnet alongside Pippa Harris, Liza Marshall and Nicolas Gonda. Mendes introduced Spielberg, whom he described as the “maestro”, to the stage, and the Royal Festival Hall erupted in applause.
Presentation Hamnet, Spielberg has spoken at length about Zhao and his admiration for his work.
“We became friends and have lunch at Amblin. I’m just amazed by her, starting with her Sundance Labs film. Songs My Brothers Taught Me. Then she made the incredible movie The rider. And then of course, Neither” Spielberg said.
“I truly believe that the Earth has a heartbeat. It’s a 24/7 seismic cycle, and we are all connected to that heartbeat, which happens right beneath our feet. But Chloé Zhao is deeply connected to it because that’s where her art comes from.”
Spielberg continued: “That’s what she brings to the set every day, that’s what she anoints and shares with her actors every day. And I truly believe that when we see Hamnetyou will be able to feel the seismic beating of the earth thanks to Chloé Zhao.
Zhao arrived on stage with her actors, including Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley. Before the film began, the Oscar-winning filmmaker led the packed LFF audience in a lengthy series of breathing exercises. The experience, which we captured in a video below, was unique and could only be compared to a free form of guided meditation.
Based on the New York Times bestseller by Maggie O’Farrell, Hamnet follows a young William Shakespeare (Mescal) and his wife Agnes (Buckley) as they fall in love and start a family that includes their son Hamnet (Jacobi Jupe). Then, when tragedy strikes, Agnes and William deal with their grief in very different ways. Emily Watson and Joe Alwyn also star in the photo.
Focus Features will release the film in select theaters on Thanksgiving before streaming it on December 12.
The LFF runs until October 19.
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