Vertical has obtained the North American distribution rights to the intense, modern take on Shakespeare’sHamlet from Riz Ahmed (Sound of Metal, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) and director Aneil Karia, collaborating again after winning the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film forThe Long Goodbye. Vertical has planned the movie for a cinema release on April 10, 2026.
With a script written by Michael Lesslie (Macbeth, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes), the film also features BAFTA-nominated Morfydd Clark (Saint Maud, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power), Joe Alwyn (Hamnet, The Brutalist), Sheeba Chadha (Songs of Paradise), Avijit Dutt (Raid 2), Art Malik (Disclaimer), and BAFTA-winning Timothy Spall (Wolf Hall).
In this modern take on Shakespeare’sHamlet, set in a affluent British South-Asian family, Hamlet (Ahmed) comes back home for his father’s funeral and is surprised to find out that his uncle Claudius (Malik) will now wed his widowed mother (Chaddha).
Upon learning from his father’s ghost (Dutt) that Claudius was responsible for his death, Hamlet is overwhelmed by a desire for vengeance, grappling with the moral decay within his family’s enterprise and his own mental stability.
The movie has been showcased at various film festivals, starting with the Telluride Film Festival and then moving on to the Toronto International Film Festival, the BFI London Film Festival, and, most recently, the Palm Springs International Film Festival.
Hamlet has been a passion project for me since I first read it at 17,” said Ahmed. “We aimed to create a film that is direct, intense, and modern, while remaining faithful to its essence as a timeless tale about family, responsibility, and deceit. It’s a story that’s 500 years old yet still feels extremely relevant now, and we’re excited to present it to North American viewers.
We’re thrilled to collaborate with Vertical for the North American release of Hamlet. This has always been a daring, contemporary interpretation of the play, and Vertical grasped that vision right away,” said Karia. “With their history of backing unique independent films and their commitment to making Shakespeare accessible to new audiences in a fresh and authentic way, they are the ideal partner to bring the film to the United States and Canada.
Vertical is excited to present this lively and dynamic Shakespearean adaptation to North American viewers later this year,” said Vertical Partner Peter Jarowey. “Riz, Aneil, and Michael, together with the rest of the cast and crew, have developed a courageous and impactful reinterpretation infused with cultural energy that will engage audiences of every age.
The Vertical (Astronaut, Dead of Winter, Eden) The release was produced by Ahmed, Lesslie, James Wilson, Allie Moore, and Tommy Oliver, with executive production by Eva Yates and Claudia Yusef for BBC Film, Louise Ortega for the BFI, Ken Kao and Josh Rosenbaum for Waypoint Entertainment, and P.J. van Sandwijk for Storyteller Productions.
The additional below-the-line crew includes director of photography Stuart Bentley (We Live in Time), editors Amanda James (The Long Goodbye) and Mikkel E.G. Nielsen (Lee), costume designer Nirage Mirage (What It’s Like to Feel Like a Girl), and BAFTA-nominated production designer Chris Oddy (The Zone of Interest), with casting by Lara Manwaring (Mandy), and music by Maxwell Sterling (Straight Circle).
The agreement was handled by SVP of Acquisitions Tony Piantedosi and Manager of Acquisitions & Sales Rachel White representing Vertical, and by WME Independent and CAA Media Finance acting for the filmmakers.
Hamletwas supported by Confluential Films, BBC Film, and the BFI, which provided National Lottery funding, in collaboration with Waypoint Entertainment.
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