Paul Mescal has taken on some pretty lofty roles in his career, and now he’s set to play the Bard himself, William Shakespeare.
The actor is teaming up with fellow Irish star Jessie Buckley for a new project, which will bring Maggie O’Farrell’s hit novel Hamnet to life.
A trailer for the period production shows Paul and Jessie in character, who play Shakespeare and his wife, Agnes, talking in a barn and at the Globe theatre, watching a production of Hamlet.
The couple is seen sharing kisses and playing with their children, with Paul telling their son to 'be brave' while playing, and the little boy later saying the line back as he dies.
Other scenes show Paul working on his play and Agnes coming to watch the production at the Globe theatre.
Jessie Buckley in "Hamnet."
First look images shared in August also show Paul staring at Jessie and looking at a painting of trees.
A third shows him looking serious in the candlelight while wearing a button-up waistcoat over a grey shirt, with a small earring in his left ear (move over Connell’s chain!).
Jessie also looks intense in the first look snaps, wearing a red dress, while with her on-screen husband and holding her hands to her mouth in the snap at the theatre.
Hamnet, based on Maggie O’Farrell’s book, is directed by Chloe Zhao and is about Agnes and William Shakespeare’s love story before and after the death of their son, Hamnet.
Paul Mescal in "Hamnet."
Chatting with Vanity Fair about the film, Jessie said it was an intense shoot with her saying: ‘It was the most fluid, creative, immediate film experience I’ve had.’
Jessie, who has previously worked with Paul on the Lost Daughter, also praised his talent saying: ‘He has this greatness about him in an old-school way, like Richard Burton had. He’s got a weight that is bigger than his years, and you can really lean on it.
Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal attend the premiere of "The Lost Daughter" in New York in 2021. (Getty Images)
'Working with him, I was like, ‘Oh, I want to meet you so many times in my life in different ways and work together.’ It felt so alive. Anything was possible.'
Fans were delighted to see the first look images of Jessie and Paul in action, with many saying they were a 'dream casting' for the roles.
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'Ooh I can’t wait! Perfect casting. Such an incredible book,' said one person, while someone else commented: 'Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal… a dream team.'
Hamnet will have a limited release on November 27 before being released nationwide on December 12, according to the Irish Film and Television Network.
Watch the official trailer below:
* This article was originally published on Evoke.ie.
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