Researchers perhaps know more about the dark side of the moon than Shakespeare's true inspirations behind creating his own brand of genre-defining, mind-bending, classic literature. This leaves room for open interpretations about the Bard's personal life, whether through cinema or books, further leading to a critical discourse on said interpretations. Sir Ian McKellen, the renowned Shakespearean thespian, has recently come forward with his thoughts explaining why he does not get Chloé Zhao’s acclaimed film Hamnet.

The film that adapts Maggie O’Farrell’s novel about the death of William Shakespeare’s son, affecting the playwright’s work on Hamlet, has bugged McKellen for a reason that could part the sea of opinions online like Moses. 

Ian McKellen, who has played many Shakespeare characters throughout his career, showed doubt about the movie's main theme and its narrative development. McKellen, 86, explained to The Times that people naturally are curious about and want to learn about the playwright's life, considering the sun never sets on Shakespeare's literary empire. However, he does not want to uncover the Bard's creative sources.

The film suggests that Shakespeare's family life alone created Hamlet, which McKellen described as an implausible idea. He identified certain story elements as improbable because character motivations, especially Anne Hathaway's (not the Princess of Genovia) supposed lack of theatre knowledge, given his husband's 9-5 as a playwright, do not match historical facts.

“I don’t quite get it. I’m not very interested in trying to work out where Shakespeare’s imagination came from, but it certainly didn’t just come from family life," McKellen told The Times, sharing his skepticism towards Chloé Zhao’s movie.

McKellen predicted that just like the breezy rom-com Shakespeare in Love, Hamnet would win Oscars, but his critique shows how different approaches to literary-historical analysis and fictional storytelling create separate interpretations.

“As Hamnet races towards the finishing line, as far as Oscars are concerned, it’s likely to repeat the success of Shakespeare in Love, which had odd views as to how plays get put on. But then Shakespeare’s perhaps the most famous person who ever lived, so of course there is some interest in what he looked like, what his relationship with his family was [...] I think there are a few doubts of probability," McKellen added during the interview with the outlet. 

Where some audiences find emotional depth and thematic resonance in Zhao’s poetic portrayal of grief, McKellen’s perspective shows that researchers and professional artists see fictional portrayals of legendary authors as dangerous. This is because they tend to oversimplify complicated artistic origins.

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But one should be the judge of art by oneself, for Hollywood's literary adaptations and interpretations are always up for debate.

Hamnet, Chloé Zhao’s acclaimed 2025 historical drama, is now available to rent or buy digitally on major platforms like Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV, with additional viewing options on Rakuten TV. The film had its theatrical release at the end of 2025, instantly becoming an awards circuit darling. It has bagged eight nominations at the 98th Academy Awards, including Best Actress and Best Picture.

The audience should prepare themselves for an emotional period drama through the adaptation of Maggie O'Farrell's novel about love, loss, and grief during the 16th century in England. The film features Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal in the leading roles, whose performances critics label as highly impactful, as the film has received substantial recognition during the Oscars season, despite not being Sir Ian McKellen-approved.

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Have you watched Hamnet yet? Let us know in the comments.