Naman Shrestha
Adapted from the eponymous 2020 novel written by Maggie O’Farrell, ‘Hamnet’ is a historical romantic drama movie helmed by Chloé Zhao. The narrative centers on the love story of the renowned playwright William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal) and his beloved wife, Agnes (Jessie Buckley), who was a healer, in 16th-century Stratford-upon-Avon, a small English village. Besides the tale of their romance, it also explores their relationship with their children, firstborn daughter Susanna, and twin boys Judith and Hamnet.
When the town is struck with a deadly plague, William and Agnes suffer a huge loss in the form of their 11-year-old son, Hamnet. The painful tragedy inspires the writer to create his masterpiece titled ‘Hamlet.’ Told from the perspective of Agnes, the story of love and loss unfolds in the aforementioned small village of the 1500s, with the crew members recreating a world that adds a layer of authenticity to the period narrative.
Hamnet Filming Locations
Filmed across England and Wales, ‘Hamnet’ was originally supposed to begin shooting in June 2024, but due to unforeseen circumstances, it was delayed by more than a month. It was primarily shot in Hertfordshire and London. In late July 2024, principal photography finally got underway and continued for about two months before wrapping up by late September of the same year.
Hertfordshire, England
A major chunk of ‘Hamnet’ was lensed in different locations across Hertfordshire, a ceremonial county situated in the East of England. The ancient settlement of Weobley was redressed to double for Stratford-upon-Avon of the 16th century in August 2024. The makers reportedly paid over £1,000 to close several streets of the historic area, located near Hereford, and turn them into film sets. In addition, the National Trust – Cwmmau Farmhouse on Cwmma Road in the cathedral city of Hereford was turned into Hewlands Farm, where Agnes spent her childhood.
The filming unit also set up camp in the village of Pembridge, which is home to several ancient landmarks and buildings. Various pivotal sequences were also shot at the Elstree Studios on Shenley Road in the town of Borehamwood. Spanning over 90,000 square feet, the film studio consists of nine different sound stages and a 1.5-acre backlot area that can accommodate a wide range of projects, including a historical drama like ‘Hamnet.’
London, England
Several important scenes for the period film were also taped in the capital of England and the United Kingdom, London. The cast and crew members reportedly set up camp in and around the Charterhouse, a historic complex of buildings located near Charterhouse Square in London’s Clerkenwell. The scenes set at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre were shot on a purpose-built replica set. The production designer, Fiona Crombie, considered shooting on location but realized that it was not viable. Since the set was built from scratch, it gave her creative freedom to make it more intimate than the actual theater. She told Variety, “We reduced ours to 75% of the actual Globe footprint.”
To create the theater’s interior to resemble the inside of a tree, Crombie utilized oak wood beams shipped in from France. She added, “It’s deliberately not ornate. There’s beautiful joinery, if you love joinery, but the focus is on the stage. And that was a very deliberate choice, that this was very basic, and almost like a vessel for his plays.” It took her and her team about 14 weeks to construct the purpose-built theater set for ‘Hamnet.’
Wales
Additional portions for ‘Hamnet’ were also reportedly shot in Wales, especially in the earlier days of the production. Situated on the island of Great Britain, it has hosted the production of several film and TV projects over the years. Besides ‘Hamnet,’ the locales of Wales feature in ‘Havoc,’ ‘Kraven the Hunter,’ ‘Mr Burton,’ ‘A Discovery of Witches,’ ‘His Dark Materials,’ and ‘War of the Worlds.’
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