Paul Mescal Channels William Shakespeare’s Playful Side in New ‘Hamnet’ Image [Exclusive]

Macbeth, The Tempest, Coriolanus, Much Ado About Nothing, Othello — these titles are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to plays penned by William Shakespeare. In every corner of the world, thespians are putting on productions based on the Bard’s lengthy catalogue of cherished works, but what do we truly know about the man himself? While Hollywood has adapted his writings for the big screen numerous times, there are very few features out there that dig into Shakespeare as a human being. That will all change on November 26 when Focus Features releases Academy Award-winner Chloé Zhao’s latest film, Hamnet, into select cinemas, followed by a wide release on December 12. Starring Paul Mescal as the famed author, the movie will peel back one of the most complicated and gut-wrenching layers of Shakespeare’s life. Today, as part of Collider’s Exclusive Preview event, we’ve got not just a new look at Hamnet, but also a quote from Mescal about the process of turning himself into the larger-than-life historical figure.

In the tall grass that stands in front of their home, William (Mescal) and his young son, Hamnet (Jacobi Jupe), play in our exclusive snapshot. On the day in question, it appears a game of soldiers is unfolding, with both the father and son holding sticks and crouching back in a swordfighting stance, ready to strike. The newly shared photo is an important one when it comes to foreshadowing the relationship and tragedy at the center of Hamnet, which serves as an adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s 2020 novel of the same name.

In the film, audiences will see a different side of William Shakespeare, that of a dedicated family man who, along with his wife, Agnes (Jessie Buckley), is raising three children: Susanna (Bodhi Rae Breathnach) and twins, Judith (Olivia Lynes) and Hamnet (Jupe). With plenty of love, support, and connection, William and Agnes keep their marriage flourishing, all while being the best parents they can be. But when tragedy strikes and young Hamnet dies, the parents are left dumbfounded and heartbroken. Searching for healing, William strikes out to work on a new production, one titled “Hamlet,” that will honor his departed son and help the rest of the family process their grief.

Paul Mescal’s Transformation Into William Shakespeare

Throughout his career, Mescal has played plenty of fictional roles, allowing the performer to build the character’s personality in the way that rang truest to him. He’s also done numerous works that, like Hamnet, have him walking in the steps of a real person. During a conversation with Collider’s Maggie Lovitt, Mescal opened up about his process of depicting someone who lived or still lives and how he approaches the task. Referencing his work in Charlotte Wells’ 2022 coming-of-age semi-autobiographical flick, Aftersun, Mescal said, “I remember having a conversation with Charlotte, and being like, ‘Do we want to have a discussion about the reality of this? Or do you want me to imagine based off the script?’ And it was the latter we chose to do, which I was very grateful for… it felt very freeing.”

A similar approach faced him in Hamnet, as the Gladiator II star continued,

“I think it’s similar to what this was where it’s like, ‘Yeah, he’s a real person, but — similar to what I said earlier — he’s very much real and exists, but we don’t know a lot. So it leaves you, as an actor, a lot of space to imagine, which is a very exciting place to be because you are then reliant on — especially playing such an artist in Shakespeare — you are relying on your own artistic voice to communicate something about one of the greatest artists of all time. And then that kind of slowly celebrates the myth but removes the pressure of playing the myth. It kind of fuses in a very organic kind of way.”

Meet the man behind the myth when Hamnet celebrates its wide release on December 12 and see the brand-new image above. Stay tuned for more to come from Collider’s Exclusive Preview event.