The greatest of the great among all literary greats, the Bard, finds yet another tale from his eternal collection making it onto the big screens

But this time, it is not his work or his life that receives the spotlight but Hamnet, his late and beloved son. A project that will delve deep into the circumstances revolving around the short life and death of the Bard’s first and only son, Hamnet also seeks to establish itself as a peek into the political atmosphere of the time and the socio-cultural phenomenon that took over after his passing and the great work – the tragedy, Hamlet – that was born out of it. 

Maggie O’Farrell’s Hamnet finds its way to the silver screen

Tom Holland Set to Star in Sam Mendes’ Hamnet Adaptation

The Marvel star that sauntered onto the screens blasting Alt-J’s Left Hand Free in MCU’s Captain America: Civil War and won over the fandom’s heart with his impactful first entry, however short, is now grabbing headlines. Stepping out of the major franchise which launched him into superstardom, Tom Holland has impressed the audience with his work in films like Cherry and The Devil All The Time. Now, he goes big with Skyfall director, Sam Mendes’ adaptation of Hamnet, a fictional work composed by the British author, Maggie O’Farrell.

 
Tom Holland [via GQ]

The project was first reported to be in development in June 2021 beyond which there has been hardly any news of progress on the front. Sam Mendes was brought on board to helm the film recently with news of Tom Holland being cast as the lead. The screenplay for Hamnet is currently being penned by playwright and author, Chiara Atik, as reported by Production Weekly.

Hamnet: All We Know About Sam Mendes’ Upcoming Period Drama

It is 1580s England and the country is haunted by the Black Death. The Bard remains largely a foreboding character in the background, above and beyond the novel’s reach – it is not him but his son that Maggie O’Farrell shines the light on. The text, eery and looming with the impending mortality of the 11-year-old Hamnet, revolves around the bond between parents and their child and even though Shakespeare and Agnes are far from being at the center of the narrative, the thread of events ties them all in into a wonderfully woeful tragedy that gives rise to one of the Bard’s best works composed during the Elizabethan era.

Sam Mendes onboards the Hamnet production

As for the film, Hamnet will reportedly dive into the family of Shakespeare as they navigate the tragedy of their son’s death, and extend the grief into the birth and composition of one of the most famous tragedies penned by William Shakespeare, Hamlet. A release date has not yet been set for the film and it is still unclear when production of Hamnet will take off.

Source: Production Weekly