Shakespeare’s Hamlet is about to be reimagined as a gritty crime thriller. Riz Ahmed stars in a new adaptation of Hamlet, which brings to life a modern rendition of the classic tragic play. Hamlet has earned plenty of popular, public attention as of late, partially because of the critically acclaimed Hamnet, a film exploring the connection between the play and Shakespeare’s son, Hamnet, who died at a young age. However, that’s not the only project the play is currently connected to. Vertical has released a new trailer for Hamlet, which stars Ahmed as the title character in a modern, crime thriller revisioning of the classic play. The trailer sees Ahmed’s Hamlet grieving with his family over the death of his father, a proclaimed figure within the UK’s wealthy South Asian community. Things take a turn when his father’s ghost appears before him, indicating his uncle may have had something to do with his death. The trailer most notably highlights Ahmed and Morfydd Clark’s characters, with the pair saying lines that are pulled straight from Shakespeare’s original play, only in a modern, more capitalistic setting. Check out the full trailer below:
This latest adaptation of Hamlet is directed by Aneil Karia, best known for winning Best Live Action Short Film in 2021 for The Long Goodbye. Ahmed is an award-winning actor himself, having starred in Karia’s short film. The actor had previously earned an Emmy win for the 2017 miniseries The Night Of. The Shakespeare adaptation promises similarities to the likes of 1996’s Romeo + Juliet, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes, which pulled dialogue from the pages of the original script while using a modern setting. This feature film will do the same as Hamlet tries to find justice for the death of his father. While the movie is coming to theaters on April 10, 2026, it previously premiered at the Telluride Film Festival on August 30, 2025. Reviews for Hamlet have been overwhelmingly positive, with the adaptation currently holding an 82% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes based on 39 reviews. It was released in the UK on February 6 of this year.
As Hamlet’s US release approaches, the trailer offers an intriguing premise that will likely deliver compelling ideas surrounding the Shakespeare character. The modern setting allows for a new lens through which to view the play, building on the tragic circumstances of the original in unique ways. Hamlet arrives in the US on April 10, 2026.
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