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‘Hamnet’ trailer: Paul Mescal stars as William Shakespeare

Paul Mescal stars as William Shakespeare with Jessie Buckley in emotional romantic trailer

By Ibtisam Fatima August 26, 2025

The emotional love story of William Shakespeare and his wife, Agnes, is coming to life.

Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley team up for a heartfelt romance storyline in Chloé Zhao's Hamnet, featuring Shakespeare and his wife.

On Tuesday, Aug. 26, Focus Features released the first trailer for the Oscar-winning writer-director’s film, based on Maggie O'Farrell’s 2020 novel.

The film is a fictional account of the English playwright’s life.

Hamnet explores the untold love story that inspired Shakespeare’s classic Hamlet, with Paul Mescal portraying the famed playwright and Jessie Buckley starring as Agnes.

The film is slated to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival next month. The latest trailer offers a glimpse of Mescal as Shakespeare, capturing the moment he pens Hamlet.

Speaking with Vanity Fair about Hamnet, director Zhao said she was surprised by the themes of the book.

“I was so surprised by how immersive and sensorial the book is — and not only that, but the book is written in a way that has almost the same heartbeat as how I would edit,” Zhao said. “Maggie has a very unique way of writing. It feels like images are being edited as I’m reading.”