Grand Theft Hamlet is a 2024 British documentary film directed by Sam Crane and Pinny Grylls.[2] The film is about the staging of a production of Hamlet in the video game Grand Theft Auto Online during one of the UK's COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns in 2021.[3]
| Grand Theft Hamlet | |
|---|---|
 American theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | |
| Written by |
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| Produced by | Julia Ton Rebecca Wolff |
| Starring | Sam Crane Mark Oosterveen |
| Music by | Jamie Perera |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Tull Stories (United Kingdom and Ireland)[1] |
Release dates |
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Running time | 89 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Premise
editThe documentary follows Sam Crane and Mark Oosterveen as they attempt to cast and produce a live virtual production of William Shakespeare's play Hamlet in the video game Grand Theft Auto Online while staying home due to lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. The film is shot entirely within the video game as a Machinima production and the subjects are all depicted by their in-game avatars.[4]
Release
editThe film premiered at the 2024 SXSW Film Festival, where it won the Jury Award for best documentary feature.[3][5] The film was released theatrically in the United Kingdom on December 6, 2024 by Tull Stories, with Mubi releasing the film globally on its streaming service in addition to US theatrical release on January 17, 2025.[6]
Reception
editOn the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 94% of 35 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.9/10.[7] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 81 out of 100, based on 12 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[8]
Accolades
edit| Award / Film Festival | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SXSW Film Festival | 2024 | Jury Award for best documentary feature | Grand Theft Hamlet | Won | [5] |
| British Independent Film Awards | 2024 | Best debut director (feature documentary) | Sam Crane and Pinny Grylls | Won | [4] |
| 2024 | Raindance Maverick Award | Grand Theft Hamlet | Won | [4] |
References
edit- ^ Dalton, Ben (15 October 2024). "Tull Stories acquires 'Grand Theft Hamlet' for UK-Ireland theatrical release". Screen International. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
- ^ "'Grand Theft Hamlet': Altitude Boards SXSW Doc About Actors Who Staged Hamlet Production Inside 'Grand Theft Auto' Video Game". Deadline Hollywood. 8 March 2024. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
- ^ a b Zilko, Christian (2024-03-13). "'Grand Theft Hamlet' Filmmakers Talk Staging Shakespeare Inside 'GTA': 'If They Thought We Were Sh*t, They Were Gonna Shoot Us'". IndieWire. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
- ^ a b c "Grand Theft Auto: How Shakespeare's Hamlet found a virtual stage". BBC News. Retrieved 2024-12-23.
- ^ a b "'Bob Trevino Likes It', 'Grand Theft Hamlet' top SXSW juried award winners". screendaily.com. Retrieved 2024-03-16.
- ^ Kennedy, Victoria (15 October 2024). "Hamlet film made in GTA Online coming to US cinemas and global streaming services". Eurogamer. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
- ^ "Grand Theft Hamlet". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved December 19, 2024.
- ^ "Grand Theft Hamlet". Metacritic. Retrieved December 19, 2024.