Hamnet - new historical drama filmed in region
Hamnet directed by Chloé Zhao staring Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal. Copyright 2025 Universal Studios
1 December 2025
Shakespeare Birthplace Trust welcomes the release of new Hamnet film
Based on the novel by Maggie O’Farrell the film explores the impact of the tragic death of Hamnet, the son of Agnes and William Shakespeare.
The film shines a light on Anne Hathaway’s Cottage bringing the family story of love and loss to life.
Directed by Chloé Zhao and starring Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal, based on the novel by Maggie O’Farrell, the film explores love and loss in the lives of Agnes (Anne) and William Shakespeare and the enduring attention to grief in Shakespeare’s art.
To celebrate the UK release on 9 January 2026, Shakespeare Birthplace Trust will join forces with Everyman Cinema for a special Hamnet event including film screening and a pre-screening Q&A with special guests. This event will take place at the Stratford-upon-Avon Everyman Cinema.
Whilst not filmed in Stratford, the film shines a light on Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, built more than 500 years ago with much of the original building surviving. Hamnet reimagines the families, landscapes and influences of home that became so fundamental to Shakespeare’s work.
Martin Simms, sector lead at Production Central WM, said: “Chloé Zhao’s brilliant new adaptation of Hamnet – a novel inspired by the life of our region’s most famous son, William Shakespeare – is another example of how original storytelling starts in the West Midlands. Our new dedicated film production office, Production Central WM, will help to bring more inspiring stories like Hamnet to life on the big and small screens by connecting industry professionals with the West Midlands’ diverse locations like the Birthplace Trust, as well as state-of-the-art facilities and top creative talent.”
To find out more about Hamnet, his short life and influence, as well as the places and spaces managed by Shakespeare Birthplace Trust visit: www.shakespeare.org.uk
Hamnet is a 2025 historical drama film co-edited and directed by Chloé Zhao, who co-wrote the screenplay with Maggie O'Farrell, based on the 2020 novel by O'Farrell. A Universal Pictures film, Hamnet is released in the UK on 9 January 2026.