Marvel Star's Hamlet Is Already Ruling Rotten Tomatoes Ahead of Release

So, there’s a new take on 'Hamlet' hitting the scene, and honestly, it’s not the kind of half-hearted Shakespeare remix you usually get. This isn’t another moody British castle drama—director Aneil Karia (the guy behind 'Surge') and Riz Ahmed (yes, the same Riz from 'Venom' and 'Sound of Metal') decided to drag the play straight into today’s London, put a South Asian spin on it, and let all the usual poison and revenge play out in a way that actually feels fresh. If you think you’ve seen every version of this play, well, maybe not.

The Cast: Not Your Typical Royal Family

• Riz Ahmed as Hamlet—nervy, raw, and basically the main reason people are buzzing about this adaptation.
• Art Malik steps in as Claudius. (You might know him from 'The Jewel in the Crown' or, depending on your tastes, 'True Lies.')
• Morfydd Clark, who’s been everywhere lately, plays Ophelia.
• Joe Alwyn pops up as Laertes. (Yes, that Joe Alwyn.)
• Sheeba Chaddha takes on Gertrude.

Critics and the Rotten Tomatoes Score

So far, it’s gotten a pretty warm embrace from critics, earning an 83% head start on Rotten Tomatoes. Sure, that number might shift once more reviews hit—still, it’s already sitting comfortably in ‘Certified Fresh’ territory, which most new Shakespeare films can only dream of.

Now, what’s everyone actually saying? A lot of critics are big on the gritty modern update and, particularly, Ahmed’s performance. Tania Hussain over at Collider calls it 'a gritty South Asian reimagining that boldly rips the play out of its primary setting and slams it into modern-day London with a cultural charge you haven’t quite seen before.' Translation: This isn’t your high school English teacher’s Hamlet.

Alistair Harkness at The Scotsman basically says the film is a streamlined and especially bloody take on the classic vengeance story, pointing out that Shakespeare’s material is stubbornly timeless—even if you’ve heard it a hundred times.

Meanwhile, Brian Tallerico at RogerEbert.com cuts straight to the point: 'To say that Ahmed is the reason to see Hamlet would be an understatement.' At first, he says, Ahmed’s twitchy, on-the-edge performance seems a bit much... until you remember, right, Hamlet’s literally unraveling the whole time. This is one of those rare cases where the lead really does make or break it, and according to the early crowd, Ahmed totally delivers.

Finally, Mae Abdulbaki at ScreenRant joins the chorus, calling Ahmed’s performance 'exceptional' and reassuring anyone on the fence that 'Hamlet is a journey worth taking.'

'To say that Ahmed is the reason to see Hamlet would be an understatement.' – Brian Tallerico, RogerEbert.com

Release Details & Festival Circuit

For the trivia buffs among you: this version of 'Hamlet' had its big unveiling at the 52nd Telluride Film Festival on August 30, 2025—a nice little feather in its cap before it hits US theaters on April 10, 2026. So if you’re itching to see what all the fuss is about, mark your calendar (and maybe dust off your old copy of the play to prepare for the creative liberties).

Bottom line? If you’re sick of cookie-cutter, over-rehearsed Shakespeare, this one sounds like the shakeup the genre desperately needed.