Chloé Zhao returns to directing to tell the story of William Shakespeare’s wife

Chloe Zhao – Oscar-winning director for Nomadland – will return behind the camera to direct Hamnetfilm adaptation of thenovel of the same name written by Maggie O’ Fannell. In these hours, the news of thedeparture of direction by Sam Mendes, who will continue to be involved in the project as a producer. Therefore, Zhao will take his place.

Hamnet – The plot of the film based on the novel by Maggie O’ Fannell

Produced by Amblin Partners, Hera Pictures, Neal Street Productions and Book of Shadows, Hamnet will be based on the novel by Maggie O’ Fannell

– published in Italy with the title In the name of the son. Hamnet – which tells of the drafting of Hamletmasterpiece of William Shakespearefrom the point of view of his wife. Set in 16th-century England, the work – which mixes fiction and reality – tells of the relationship between Agnes – whose real name was Anne Hathaway – and Shakespeare since their first meeting at a young age. The novel then comes to tell about death of the couple’s only son, Hamnet – who died at the age of eleven due to the plague – and the attempt of both to overcome the pain. Shakespeare, in particular, will pour his feelings into the tragedy Hamlet.

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Chloe Zhao will take care of direction and of film script of the project, together with Maggie O’ Fannell, whose novel became a best seller in just a few months. The filmmaker then returns to dealing with intimate and private stories, after the Marvel parenthesis of Eternals

, panned by audiences and critics alike despite grossing $402 million. In recent weeks, however, he had confirmed that still be working on his own version of Dracula, between sci-fi and western, of which the latest updates date back to a couple of years ago. In fact, the film seems to have finally entered production and it is therefore not clear at the moment how the two commitments behind the camera will be reconciled. Zhao, in addition to the Marvel cinecomic, is known in the cinematographic environment for Nomadlandsmall independent film winner of three Academy Awards – best film, best director and best actress for Frances McDormand. Sam Mendeswhose last effort, Empire of Light, which debuted in cinemas last March, has not yet revealed the reasons behind the abandonment of the direction of the project. So all that remains is to wait for more updates.