Chloé Zhao’s HAMNET Trailer Unveils a Poetic and Heartbreaking Look at Shakespeare’s Hidden Grief

Focus Features has dropped the first full trailer for Hamnet, and it’s already shaping up to be one of the year’s most acclaimed and emotionally resonant films.

Directed by Chloé Zhao, the Oscar-winning filmmaker behind Nomadland and Eternals, this new feature finds her returning to more intimate and human storytelling.

Set in 16th-century England, Hamnet tells the story behind one of literature’s greatest tragedies. Jessie Buckley stars as Agnes Shakespeare, the wife of William Shakespeare, played by Paul Mescal.

The film follows Agnes as she wrestles with the devastating loss of their only son, Hamnet, and explores how that grief helped shape Shakespeare’s masterpiece, Hamlet.

The film’s synopsis reads: “In William Shakespeare's day, the names Hamlet & Hamnet were interchangeable. The newest film by Chloé Zhao uses that context as the basis for a tender exploration of Shakespeare's domestic life, connecting a family tragedy to one of his most famous works.

“Maybe we can better understand Hamlet, Zhao suggests, if we consider that it was developed while the most famous writer in the Western canon was mourning the death of his 11-year-old son, Hamnet.

“Based on the novel by Maggie O'Farrell, Hamnet's main character isn't The Bard — played here by an impressive Paul Mescal — or even the child who gives the film its name. Hamnet belongs to Agnes – Shakespeare's thoughtful wife, played by an enthralling Jessie Buckley, who bathes the film in her warmth.

“Many historical accounts preface reports of Hamnet's death with statistics about how common child mortality was in the 16th century, as though it barely made an impact. Hamnet rejects that premise, showing Shakespeare not as a distant, untouchable genius but as a real man whose literary prowess was irrevocably impacted by his domestic [family] life.”

The movie is a reimagining of how art and personal loss intertwine. The Toronto International Film Festival described it as a portrayal of “how The Bard was not a cold genius, he was a real man whose literary prowess was irrevocably impacted by his domestic life.”

The supporting cast includes Joe Alwyn, Emily Watson, Jacobi Jupe, Jack Shalloo, and David Wilmot, with an original score by Max Richter. The film has already earned glowing reviews following its premieres at Telluride and TIFF, where critics praised Zhao’s direction and Buckley’s moving performance.

Hamnet is based on the acclaimed novel by Maggie O’Farrell and co-written by O’Farrell and Zhao. The film is produced by Sam Mendes and Steven Spielberg.

After its festival run, Focus Features will release Hamnet in select U.S. theaters on November 27, 2025.