Riz Ahmed Wants His Contemporary Hamlet Adaptation to Become the Standard Version Shown in UK Schools

Oscar-winning actor Riz Ahmed has completed a modern reimagining of Shakespeare’s Hamlet after a 13-year development process delayed by industry changes. Directed by Aneil Karia, his collaborator on the Oscar-winning short The Long Goodbye, the film is styled as an action thriller set in contemporary London, using shaky first-person camera work for an edgy, immediate feel. Key scenes, like the iconic ‘To be or not to be’ soliloquy, are delivered at high speed in a car. Ahmed, who became obsessed with the play as a teenager due to feelings of alienation recognized by his English teacher, connects its themes to current times—powerlessness, gaslighting, complicity in unfair systems, and broader societal frustrations. He particularly hopes this visceral version replaces outdated filmed stage productions in school curricula, making the story more relatable for students. The production was influenced by both Ahmed and Karia becoming fathers during filming, adding raw emotional intensity amid sleep deprivation, which mirrored the play’s themes of fatherhood and unraveling. Ahmed describes leaning into instinct over perfectionism due to exhaustion. The film reunites him with Karia and opens in UK cinemas on February 6, 2026.