Hamnet Leads Oscar Race
Sam Mendes's "Hamnet" starring Paul Mescal remains a critical favorite with eight Oscar and eleven BAFTA nominations. Mendes and director Chloé Zhao discussed the "emotional cost" of directing at a London screening, emphasizing the personal toll behind acclaimed films. "Train Dreams" won best feature at the Spirit Awards.
- "Hamnet" is based on the acclaimed 2020 novel of the same name by Maggie O'Farrell, which won the Women's Prize for Fiction. The story explores the emotional fallout of the death of William Shakespeare's only son, Hamnet, and its potential influence on the creation of his iconic play, "Hamlet". - The film is directed by Chloé Zhao, who previously made history as the first woman of color to win the Academy Award for Best Director for "Nomadland" (2020). That film also won Best Picture at the 93rd Academy Awards. - Paul Mescal, who stars as William Shakespeare, was previously nominated for a Best Actor Oscar for his role in the 2022 film "Aftersun". He also won a British Academy Television Award for his breakout role in the series "Normal People". - Director Sam Mendes has a strong Oscar history, having won Best Director for his debut film "American Beauty" (1999). He received three additional nominations for "1917" (2019) in the categories of Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay. - The film also features Jessie Buckley as Anne Hathaway, who has previously worked with Mescal on "The Lost Daughter". - "Train Dreams," which won Best Feature at the Spirit Awards, is an adaptation of a novella by Denis Johnson and is also in contention for the Best Picture Oscar. The Spirit Awards, which celebrate films with budgets under $30 million, can sometimes be an indicator of Oscar success.
