Steven Spielberg toasts Oscar hopeful ‘Hamnet'

To weep, or not to weep? That was the question as LA’s swanky Academy Museum of Motion Pictures was filled with a cacophony of sniffles on Tuesday night at the premiere of the heartbreaking Oscar hopeful “Hamnet.”

Based on the acclaimed 2020 novel of the same name by Maggie O’Farrell, “Hamnet” follows William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal) and his wife, Agnes (Jessie Buckley), as they fall in love, build a family and cope with a devastating loss that leads William to pen his acclaimed masterpiece “Hamlet.”

Ahead of the premiere screening, Steven Spielberg, who produced the film, praised director Chloe Zhao’s singular vision , telling the audience, “Directors are always searching for stories to tell, but sometimes, the story tells us which director it wants to belong to.”

The Hollywood ico