Hamlet (2025) – the Asian prince of London

David and Elysia dive into Shakespeare's Hamlet, opening with a discussion of the play itself and some of the most classic film and stage adaptations, not to mention the whole sub-genre of films loosely adapting and referencing the Bard's longest work.

With that foundation laid, they turn their attention to the new adaptation starring Riz Ahmed, directed by Aneil Karia, that debuted at Telluride last year and is opening in theaters across North America today, April 10. How faithful is this new incarnation of the story, set in London's Asian community in the modern day? And what does and doesn't work when breaking down the source material to create what they call "the boldest adaptation to date"?

Links discussed:

• "The Name of Action" short doc
• This American Life: "Act V"
• Bait TV series: trailer

Hamlet adaptations discussed:

• Hamlet (1948) – Directed by Laurence Olivier, starring Laurence Olivier
• Hamlet (1990) – Directed by Franco Zeffirelli, starring Mel Gibson
• Hamlet (1996) – Directed by Kenneth Branagh, starring Kenneth Branagh
• Hamlet (2009) – Directed by Gregory Doran, starring David Tennant
• Hamlet (2018) – Directed by Rhodri Huw and Robert Icke, starring Andrew Scott
• Hamlet (2024) – Directed by Sean Mathias, starring Ian McKellen
• Hamlet (2025) – Directed by Aneil Karia, starring Riz Ahmed
• Hamlet: National Theatre Live (2026) – Directed by Robert Hastie, starring Hiran Abeysekera

Other films discussed:

• Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead (1990) – Directed by Tom Stoppard
• The Lion King (1994) – Directed by Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff
• In the Bleak Midwinter (1995) – Directed by Kenneth Branagh
• Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Undead (2009) – Directed by Jordan Galland
• Ophelia (2018) – Directed by Claire McCarthy
• The Northman (2022) – Directed by Robert Eggers
• Grand Theft Hamlet (2024) – Directed by Sam Crane and Pinny Grylls
• King Hamlet (2025) – Directed by Elvira Lind
• Scarlet (2026) – Directed by Mamoru Hosoda

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