Chloe Zhao returns with Hamnet

Chloe Zhao explains her return to feature filmmaking with Hamnet, an adaptation of Maggie O Farrells novel, starring Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley.

Chloe Zhao Returns With Hamnet After Four Year Hiatus

Chloe Zhao returns to feature filmmaking with Hamnet, an adaptation of Maggie O Farrells novel. The film stars Paul Mescal as William Shakespeare and Jessie Buckley as Agnes, with Joe Alwyn and Emily Watson in supporting roles. Amblin Entertainment, in collaboration with Steven Spielberg and Sam Mendes, is behind the production, and Max Richter crafted the score. Hamnet had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 7, drawing early praise for its intimate look at love and loss and for Zhao directed storytelling after a long break.

Zhao says the four year break was needed to decompress after Nomadland and Eternals and that she also started a production company with Nic Gonda. She describes how the casting and chemistry tests with Mescal and Buckley became essential to the project and how she allowed the story to guide the film rather than forcing a fixed structure. The filmmaker hints at future projects, including a speculative collaboration with Buffy the Vampire Slayer, while acknowledging the challenge of sharing a film with a global audience and critics.

The return marks a rare bridge between auteur cinema and a high profile franchise pedigree. Zhao leans into a personal mode of storytelling after back to back intense productions, signaling a broader shift in how directors pace their careers. Hamnet looks to turn Shakespeare into a human story about love and death, a format that could resonate with both festival crowds and general audiences. The decision to couple Mescal and Buckley emphasizes a new generation of screen partners who can carry complex emotional arcs while navigating big festival and awards attention. Zhao frames the project as a learning process, a philosophy that may appeal to filmmakers who crave creative control after working with large studios.

Highlights

The film arrives as a reminder that art often travels alongside a director paced by personal rhythm rather than industry tempo.