With the inspiration behind Hamlet making its way to the 2026 Oscars in Best Picture nom Hamnet, a contemporary take on the William Shakespeare play is headed to the big screen next.
In Vertical‘s first trailer for the modern adaptation of Shakespeare’s tragedy, which premieres April 10 in theaters, Riz Ahmed takes on the titular role of a man avenging his father’s death and taking on his family’s corrupt empire.
Directed by Aneil Karia from a script by Michael Lesslie, Hamlet is a visually striking modern reimagining of Shakespeare’s most enduring tragedy.
Set in London’s elite South Asian community, Hamlet (Ahmed) returns home for his father’s funeral, where he’s shocked to learn his uncle Claudius (Art Malik) is marrying his newly widowed mother Gertrude (Sheeba Chaddha). During a visit from his father’s ghost (Avijit Dutt), Hamlet discovers Claudius was behind the murder, sending him on a path of vengeance and self-reflection.
“My uncle is the cause of all this,” says Ahmed’s Hamlet in the emotionally charged trailer. “There is a villain dwelling in our home here.”
Riz Ahmed in ‘Hamlet’
Vertical
The film, which premiered at TIFF in August, also stars Morfydd Clark as Ophelia, Joe Alwyn as Laertes and Timothy Spall as Polonius.