Riz Ahmed Explains Why Shakespeare Was the Original King of Remakes and Reboots
5Shakespeare's Hamlet is given new legs with the Academy Award-winning duo, director Aneil Karia and Riz Ahmed, reuniting after their collaboration on Karia's short The Long Goodbye. This reimagining places the tragedy in contemporary London and marks the first time the play has been adapted with a predominantly non-white cast, giving a new weight to the playwright's themes with a script Ahmed has been working on with screenwriter Michael Lesslie (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes) for over a decade. With Karia at the helm, Hamlet's legendary paranoia becomes a propulsive psychological thriller.
In a timeless tale, Ahmed plays the eponymous son of a wealthy British Indian family. After his father's sudden passing, Hamlet returns home for the funeral, only to discover his Uncle Claudius (Art Malik) intends to marry his mother (Sheeba Chaddha). With the family's business hanging in the balance, the ghost of Hamlet's father pays his son a visit and reveals that he was murdered by Claudius, setting Hamlet on a path of revenge. In addition to the core family, Morfydd Clark (The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power) plays Ophelia, Joe Alwyn (The Brutalist) plays Laertes, and Timothy Spall (Spencer) plays Polonius.
Riz Ahmed in HamletAhmed and Karia took the film to this year's Toronto International Film Festival, where they stopped by Collider's Media Studio at the Cinema Center and spoke with Steve Weintraub about their new adaptation. Ahmed reflected on Shakespeare’s legacy and why Hamlet remains endlessly adaptable:
“It’s an understatement, isn’t it, but he was a rare genius. He has so many turns of phrase… Hamlet is IP. Macbeth is IP. He’s the reboot, the remake king. So he’s taking these ancient stories and myths, and he’s executing them in the most magical, poetic way possible… Hamlet isn’t something he invented. That goes back to the ancient Nordic myth… The first words you hear in all productions of Hamlet are words from the Bhagavad Gita. So we’re kind of name-checking the idea of, like, this belongs to everyone.”
Karia followed up with an observation that brings Shakespeare into today’s IP-heavy landscape that thrives on franchise success, where references to his work are endless:
“If he was around now, he’d be getting the major MCU contracts.”
Check out the full conversation in the video above, with a time index below where the pair discuss reimagining Hamlet as a psychological thriller, their updated take on the iconic "To be, or not to be" line, and how their personal experiences shaped the adaptation.
Riz Ahmed and director Aneil Karia at TIFF 2025 for Hamlet
:50 - What sets this version of Hamlet apart from previous adaptations?
2:50 - How do you prepare for such a demanding role?
3:22 - Why is tackling this telling of Hamlet scary?
7:57 - Interpreting the iconic, "To be or not to be?"
8:23 - Karia's direction and the visual language brings Hamlet into the present day.
14:21 - Why does Shakespeare resonate through time, and how much of his inspiration is drawn from history before the plays?
17:16 - What's in the works for Riz Ahmed?
18:16 - What makes directors like Alejandro Iñárritu's visions so distinct?
Hamlet has not set an official release date. Check with Collider for more from TIFF 2025!
Special thanks to the partners Roxstar Entertainment and its Campari Cinema Center and Campari, who featured their signature festival red-carpet drinks, including the Campari Negroni and Campari Spritz. Also host venue, Discreta Toronto, and Oscar-winning visual effects (VFX) company, Rodeo FX as well as Lavazza Coffee, Vellamo mineral water, Santa Carolina’s Reserva Chilean Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon wines, La Vieille Ferme Rosé and La Vieille Ferme Reserve Brut Sparkling, Peroni beer, and food catering by Miss Ivy Toronto @Cinemactr
#hamlet #rizahmed #aneilkaria #shakespeare #tiff #goodfellas
For interviews, movie reviews, and more visit https://collider.com/
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL
https://twitter.com/collider
https://instagram.com/collider
https://facebook.com/collider