“Hamnet,” the tragic story of William Shakespeare and his wife, a leading contender for this year’s Oscars, will be screened on Peacock on March 6, just in time for pre-ceremony viewing.
Paul Mescal plays Shakespeare in Chloé Zhao’s film, but the real star is Jesse Buckley, who plays his wife Anne. Buckley won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Drama Motion Picture and is in the running for Best Actor this weekend and Best Actress at next month’s Oscars. She also won a BAFTA and a Critics Choice Award for her role last weekend.
“Hamnet” depicts the tragic upbringing of Shakespeare’s family and what inspired him to write “Hamlet.” Their three children, Hamnet, Judith, and Susanna, are played by Jacobi Jupe, Olivia Lines, and Bodhi Ray Bresnach. The rest of the cast includes Emily Watson as William’s mother, David Wilmot as his father, and Joe Alwyn as Anne’s brother. The film is based on the 2020 novel of the same name by author Maggie O’Farrell.
Hamnet was nominated for eight Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director for Chao, Best Actress for Buckley, Original Screenplay, Costume Design, Casting Achievement, Original Score, and Production Design for Chao and O’Farrell. At this Sunday’s acting awards, the film is nominated for Best Ensemble, Best Actress and Best Actor for Mezcal.
Buckley will face off against Rose Byrne (“If I Had Legs, I’ll Kick It”), Kate Hudson (“Song Saint Bleu”), Renate Reinsuv (“Sentimental Values”) and Emma Stone (“Bugonia”) at next month’s Academy Awards.
