In August, Focus acquired U.S. rights to Chloe Zhao’s “Hamnet,” which has just wrapped production in Wales. Furthermore. Two famous Irish actors, Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley, are set star in “Hamnet” which is being produced by Spielberg’s Amblin Pictures.
Replacing original director Sam Mendes, who is now in the middle of hard prep to shoot four his Beatles films, Zhao is adapting Maggie O’Farrell prize-winning Novel in what sounds like primo Oscar-bait. Lukasz Zal (“The Zone of Interest”) is cinematographer on this one.
Set against the backdrop of Shakespeare's most famous play, Hamlet, and during the Black Plague in 1580s England, “Hamnet” imagines the story of Agnes, the wife of William Shakespeare, as she grapples with the loss of their only son.
Zhao also has her “Dracula” western in the works. It does look as though that one won’t be filming until 2025/2026. Regardless, she’s coming off her clunker MCU film, “Eternals.” Zhao was originally showered with praise for her 2020 Oscar winning “Nomadland,” and 2018’s acclaimed “The Rider.”