Star Wars actor Riz Ahmed is reportedly in talks with Netflix to take on the titular role in an adaptation of Hamlet.

Advertisement

Deadline claim that Ahmed, who won an Emmy for his role in HBO’s The Night Of, could star in a modern-day version of the Shakespeare classic, set in a London of economic and political uncertainty. They also report that the version has been developed by the actor with writer Mike Lesslie (2015’s Macbeth). Jim Wilson (Attack the Block) is being lined up to produce.

The original Shakespeare tragedy follows the revenge that Hamlet is asked to inflict by the ghost of his father. The lead role has been taken on by plenty of actors, including Benedict Cumberbatch, David Tennant, Ben Whishaw, Jude Law and Kenneth Branagh.

Advertisement

The BBC have also announced that next year they’ll be broadcasting a stage version of the play, with Andrew Scott in the titular role. And a modern-day adaptation of King Lear, another Shakespeare drama, is on the way to BBC2 next year, starring Anthony Hopkins, Emma Thompson, Christopher Eccleston and – once again – Andrew Scott.

Authors

Thomas LingDigital editor, BBC Science Focus

Thomas is Digital editor at BBC Science Focus. Writing about everything from cosmology to anthropology, he specialises in the latest psychology, health and neuroscience discoveries. Thomas has a Masters degree (distinction) in Magazine Journalism from the University of Sheffield and has written for Men’s Health, Vice and Radio Times. He has been shortlisted as the New Digital Talent of the Year at the national magazine Professional Publishers Association (PPA) awards. Also working in academia, Thomas has lectured on the topic of journalism to undergraduate and postgraduate students at The University of Sheffield.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement