

A tale of revenge that has stood the test of time, Shakespeare’s classic tragedy is reimagined for the modern day as a gripping psychological thriller! Transcending the confines of the stage, the film utilises nearly every room of the Theatre Royal Windsor to transform it into the immortal Elsinore Castle, from basement dungeon to roof-top battlement.
Acting
McKellen's fifth Hamlet, rawer and stranger than ever.
Direction
Mathias weaponizes every cramped space of the theatre.
Production
Elsinore as architectural fever dream—basement to battlement.

Director
Sean Mathias
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
McKellen first played Hamlet in 1971, 1976, 1989, and 2021—this 2024 film captures his fifth interpretation at age 85, making him one of the oldest actors to tackle the role.
The film's use of the entire Theatre Royal Windsor—including backstage corridors and dressing rooms—echoes Hamlet's own obsession with hidden spaces, surveillance, and what happens behind closed doors.