Ian McKellen says Chloé Zhao’s ‘Hamnet’ is “improbable”
Ian McKellen has hit out at Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet, describing the new movie as “improbable”.
The film, which arrived in cinemas last month and stars Jessie Buckley as Anne Hathaway and Paul Mescal as William Shakespeare, explores how they coped with the death of their son, Hamnet, as well as the creation of Hamlet.
Hamnet is one of the leading contenders for the Oscars, securing a total of eight nominations, including in coveted categories such as ‘Best Picture’, ‘Best Director’, and ‘Best Actress’.
Buckley also won the ‘Best Actress’ award at the Golden Globes last month, and is one of the favourites to take home the same prize at the Baftas on February 22nd.
Despite the huge acclaim that Zhao’s creation is receiving, McKellen is unconvinced by the film, telling The Times in a new interview, “I don’t quite get it. I’m not very interested in trying to work out where Shakespeare’s imagination came from, but it certainly didn’t just come from family life.”
However, he does believe that, due to the subject matter, it will be successful at the Oscars next month, adding, “As Hamnet races towards the finishing line as far as Oscars are concerned, it’s likely to repeat the success of Shakespeare in Love, which had odd views as to how plays get put on. But then Shakespeare’s perhaps the most famous person who ever lived, so of course there is some interest in what he looked like, what his relationship with his family was.”
Nevertheless, there is one particular part of the film that McKellen found difficult to believe, adding, “And we can’t know, but the idea Anne Hathaway has never seen a play before? It’s improbable, considering what her husband did for a living.”
McKellen’s scathing critique continued, “And she doesn’t seem to know what a play is! I think there are a few doubts of probability.”
In addition to receiving critical acclaim, Hamnet has also been a success at the box office, recouping more than $80 million globally since its release.
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