Vertical has unveiled the first US trailer for Hamlet, a striking contemporary adaptation of William Shakespeare’s iconic tragedy. The film places Riz Ahmed at the centre of the tragedy, reinterpreting the tortured Danish prince through a modern lens.
Directed by Aneil Karia, whose short film The Long Goodbye earned Academy Award recognition, this new version reimagines the classic text within the framework of a powerful British South-Asian dynasty. The cast features Morfydd Clark as Ophelia, Joe Alwyn as Laertes, Sheeba Chadha as Gertrude, Avijit Dutt as Old Hamlet, Art Malik as Claudius, and Timothy Spall as Polonius.
Rather than presenting a traditional period staging, Karia blends Shakespeare’s original language with sleek contemporary aesthetics. The story chronicles Hamlet’s return home following his father’s funeral, only to confront the unsettling news that his uncle Claudius is set to marry his mother. When the ghost of his father reveals the truth behind his death, Hamlet is pulled into a spiralling conflict shaped by grief, betrayal, and the corrosive pull of revenge.
The film first premiered at the 52nd Telluride Film Festival on 30 August 2025, before heading to the Toronto International Film Festival on 5 September 2025, where it continued to build early buzz.
Initial critical reaction has been encouraging. The film currently holds an 82% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics highlighting its cultural reframing of a well-worn classic. Metro described it as “a desperately needed breath of fresh air,” praising its shift away from conventional Western interpretations. Meanwhile, The Playlist noted that the adaptation succeeds in justifying its existence in a crowded field of Shakespeare reimaginings.
Vertical will release Hamlet in US theaters on April 10, 2026.
