The stage is set for another Irish triumph at the Academy Awards as HAMNET, starring powerhouse performers Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal, claimed the coveted People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival this week. This prestigious honor has historically served as a reliable predictor of Oscar success, with previous winners like CHARIOTS OF FIRE, THE PRINCESS BRIDE, and SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE all going on to capture Academy Award nominations.
Director Chloé Zhao has crafted something extraordinary in her adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s acclaimed 2020 novel, transporting audiences to 16th century England to witness one of literature’s most devastating personal tragedies. The film centers on the death of William Shakespeare’s 11-year-old son Hamnet, but this isn’t merely another biographical portrait of the Bard. Instead, Zhao has made the bold choice to focus the narrative through the eyes of Agnes, Shakespeare’s wife, brilliantly portrayed by Kerry native Jessie Buckley, who infuses the film with remarkable warmth and emotional depth.
Paul Mescal, the Kildare-born actor who has rapidly become one of Ireland’s most compelling screen presences, takes on the formidable challenge of embodying Shakespeare himself. Yet as festival organizers noted, this Shakespeare isn’t presented as an untouchable literary genius but as a real man whose creative brilliance was fundamentally shaped by domestic tragedy and personal loss. The film boldly rejects the historical tendency to dismiss child mortality in the 16th century as commonplace, instead examining how such profound grief would have impacted both the playwright’s work and his marriage.
What emerges is a deeply human story that challenges our understanding of one of history’s greatest writers while showcasing the extraordinary talents of two Irish actors at the height of their powers. Buckley, whose career has been marked by fearless performances across stage and screen, finds new depths in Agnes, a woman whose story has too often been overshadowed by her husband’s literary legacy. Meanwhile, Mescal continues his remarkable ascent following his breakthrough in NORMAL PEOPLE, proving his ability to inhabit complex historical figures with the same emotional authenticity that made him a household name.
The Toronto victory positions HAMNET as a serious contender for the upcoming awards season, with both lead performances likely to generate significant buzz among Academy voters. As the film prepares for its November 27 theatrical release, it represents not just another potential Irish success story at the Oscars, but a thoughtful exploration of how personal tragedy can transform artistic genius, told through the lens of a marriage tested by unimaginable loss.
When Emerald Fennell texted @alisonjoliver about joining WUTHERING HEIGHTS, the answer was immediate: yes.
"I just love her so much that I would do anything she was doing," Oliver says about reuniting with Fennell after SALTBURN.
The film is now in theatres, more at irishfilmtv.com.
Barry Keoghan has arrived.
The Dublin actor who made us unable to look away in SALTBURN is now going head-to-head with Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, and Halle Berry in CRIME 101 — and he`s not just keeping up, he`s stealing scenes.
This isn`t just another role—this is Keoghan proving he belongs among Hollywood`s heaviest hitters, taking his Love/Hate juice straight to LA and reminding everyone that sometimes the hungriest actor in the room is the most dangerous one.
More Barry at irishfilmtv.com.
One man. Eight characters. Pure theatrical magic. ✨
Andrew Scott`s VANYA won Best Play Revival at the WhatsOnStage Awards after its triumphant West End run at the Duke of York`s Theatre and now tops the list of best one-man shows of recent times.
More Andrew at irishfilmtv.com.
HOW TO GET TO HEAVEN FROM BELFAST drops Feb 12 on Netflix.
DERRY GIRLS star Saoirse Monica Jackson has been talking about the new series and her excitement is absolutely contagious.
Landing on Galentine`s Day feels perfect for this kind of ladies-celebrating-ladies energy.
Watch now at irishfilmtv.com.
Jamie Dornan is about to make you forget every role you thought defined him.
THE WORST, a pitch-black British comedy, casts him as Danny, a talent agent so pathologically addicted to self-promotion that he can`t stop name-dropping even as the dinner party around him combusts into spectacular social carnage.
More Jamie at irishfilmtv.com.
The awards season darling you`ve been hearing about is finally streaming.
Chloé Zhao`s HAMNET—the haunting exploration of grief, love, and the creation of Shakespeare`s HAMLET—brings together Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley in performances that have kept both firmly in the Oscar conversation.
If you missed it theatrically, now`s your chance to see what the buzz is about before Oscar night. This is the kind of film that reminds you why cinema matters.
More HAMNET at irishfilmtv.com.
Taylor Swift just dropped the OPALITE music video and it`s giving major Irish vibes ☘️✨
The nearly 6-minute visual sees Domhnall Gleeson starring as Taylor`s love interest, playing two lonely souls who find each other. But here`s where it gets even better: eagle-eyed Swifties spotted cameos from Cillian Murphy and Graham Norton, making this a full-on Irish affair.
Want the full breakdown of this transatlantic collaboration? Head to our blog for all the details on how this stunning video came together. Link in bio! 🔗
The creator of DERRY GIRLS just dropped a murder mystery set at an Irish wake, and honestly? It`s the genre mashup we didn`t know we needed 🕵️♀️
Lisa McGee is back with HOW TO GET TO HEAVEN FROM BELFAST on Netflix, and if you loved how she found humor in the Troubles (Protestants! Toasters! Cupboards!), you`re going to eat this up.
Three friends reunite for their childhood bestie`s funeral, only to realize her death isn`t what it seems. Cue an eerie adventure across Ireland that`s equal parts creepy and hilarious.
More at irishfilmtv.com.
British Vogue just put Jessie Buckley on their February cover and it`s not just a magazine shoot—it`s a coronation.
Shot by Jack Davison on the windswept Norfolk coast near her home, these images are pure cinema. Sky, sea, and a woman at the exact moment her entire life is about to change.
She`s the frontrunner for Best Actress. HAMNET is destroying audiences. She`s a new mother standing at the edge of the kind of fame that alters everything.
And Vogue captured it all—the grit, the greatness, the quiet mastery that got her here.
More Jessie at irishfilmtv.com.
