Oscar Winners Riz Ahmed & Aneil Karia Team For Modern ‘Hamlet’ With Morfydd Clark, Joe Alwyn & WME Independent; Duo Give Exclusive Interview About Their Timely Adaptation — Cannes Market Hot Package
11.05.2022 - 16:35
/ deadline.com
EXCLUSIVE: On the heels of their Oscar win for The Long Goodbye, Sound Of Metal and Rogue One actor Riz Ahmed and Surge director Aneil Karia are confirmed for a modern adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic Hamlet, which is being launched by WME Independent at the Cannes market.
Ahmed will star in the titular role of Hamlet, a man haunted by his father’s ghost and driven to increasingly unstable heights. The new version of the classic will see Hamlet move through London’s elite circles and attend exuberant parties, going to violent lengths to avenge his father and prove his uncle guilty.
Scroll down for our exclusive interview with the pair about their timely vision for the movie.
Karia is set to direct from a script by Michael Lesslie (Macbeth). Ahmed will produce on behalf of his production company Left-Handed Films with his producing partner Allie Moore, alongside Michael Lesslie’s Storyteller Films and Under The Skin producer Jim Wilson.
Rounding out the cast for now are BAFTA Rising Star nominee Morfydd Clark (Saint Maud) who is attached to play Ophelia and The Favourite and Harriet actor Joe Alywn who will play Laertes.
WME Independent will handle international sales and co-rep North American rights with CAA. Ahmed and Karia will be on the ground in Cannes to discuss the project with buyers at a presentation and we hear there is already interest from potential financiers.
Ahmed and Karia said: “This is a Hamlet about race, privilege, corruption – and whether setting things right means setting fire to the entire old order. This Hamlet belongs to a wealthy British Indian family who buy their way up the English establishment at great personal cost. This is an urgent story told in a bold way, that will grab hold of audiences
The website popstar.one is an aggregator of news from open sources. The source is indicated at the beginning and at the end of the announcement. You can
send a complaint on the news if you find it unreliable.