After winning Best Picture for Nomadland and venturing to the MCU for Eternals, Chloé Zhao has landed on what’ll likely be her next project. An adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s historical fiction novel Hamnet is in the works, and Deadline reports that two rising star Irish actors are being eyed to play the leads.
Aftersun breakout Paul Mescal and Women Talking’s Jessie Buckley are in talks to star in Hamnet. Mescal would play literary giant William Shakespeare, with Buckley as his wife Agnes Hathaway. Steven Spielberg‘s Amblin Partners and Sam Mendes‘ Neal Street Productions are aboard as producers.
Zhao is working on the script alongside O’Farrell. The film’s title comes from William and Agnes’ son, Hamnet, who died at the age of 11. O’Farrell’s story centers on Agnes as she copes with his death.
Mescal is plenty busy with Ridley Scott’s upcoming Gladiator sequel and Richard Linklater’s Merrily We Roll Along. Buckley has a role in Apple film Fingernails, among numerous others.
