Shakespeare expert Ian McKellen brands Hamnet ‘improbable’ fiction: ‘I don’t quite get it’
Renowned Shakespearean actor voices doubts over Oscar frontrunner Hamnet
- Sir Ian McKellen, a renowned Shakespearean actor and Academy member, has voiced his reservations about the film Hamnet, despite its significant Oscar buzz.
- McKellen stated he is “not very interested in trying to work out where Shakespeare’s imagination came from” and believes it did not solely originate from family life.
- He predicted the film would win several Oscars but described certain plot details, such as Jessie Buckley's supposed ignorance of plays, as “improbable”.
- The film, based on Maggie O'Farrell's novel, fictionalises how the death of Shakespeare's 11-year-old son might have inspired his famous play Hamlet.
- Hamnet has garnered eight Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, and has achieved box office success, grossing $74m globally.
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