| Hamlet | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Aneil Karia |
| Screenplay by | Michael Lesslie |
| Based on | Hamlet by William Shakespeare |
| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Stuart Bentley [1] |
| Edited by |
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| Music by | Maxwell Sterling [1] |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Focus Features Universal Pictures |
Release date |
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Running time | 114 minutes [2] |
| Country | United Kingdom [2] |
| Language | English |
Hamlet is a 2025 British drama film based on William Shakespeare's Hamlet , reimagined in present-day London. Directed by Aneil Karia and written by Michael Lesslie, it stars Riz Ahmed, Morfydd Clark and Joe Alwyn. The film had its premiere at the 52nd Telluride Film Festival on 30 August 2025.
Haunted by his father’s ghost, Prince Hamlet descends from elite London society into the city's underground, moving between Hindu temples and homeless camps. In seeking to avenge his father's murder, he begins to question his own role in his family's corruption. [4]
In October 2017, a Hamlet film adaptation written by Mike Lesslie and starring Riz Ahmed was announced, with Netflix in talks to finance and distribute. [8] After years in development, Aneil Karia was attached as director in May 2022. Ahmed stars and serves as a producer alongside Allie Moore for Left-Handed Films, Lesslie for Storyteller Films, and Jim Wilson. Tommy Oliver produced and co-financed through Confluential Films. [4] Morfydd Clark and Joe Alwyn were cast as Ophelia and Laertes, respectively. [5] Additionally, Sheeba Chaddha, Art Malik, and Timothy Spall have was cast. [1]
Principal photography took place in London, England from 8 November to 21 December 2023. [9] [10]
In January 2024, Focus Features acquired international distribution rights to the film. [4] Hamlet had its world premiere at the 52nd Telluride Film Festival on 30 August 2025, [11] and also screened at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival on 5 September. [2] [12]
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 72% of 18 critics' reviews are positive. [13] Metacritic , which uses a weighted average , assigned the film a score of 61 out of 100, based on 8 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. [14]
