One of the most celebrated films of the year is finally making its way to Philippine cinemas. HAMNET, the Golden Globe Best Picture – Drama winner and an eight-time Academy Award nominee, arrives exclusively at Ayala Malls Cinemas beginning February 18, offering local audiences a rare chance to experience an awards-season triumph on the big screen.
Written and directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Chloé Zhao, HAMNET is adapted from Maggie O’Farrell’s best-selling and critically acclaimed novel. The film stars Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal, Emily Watson, and Joe Alwyn, delivering deeply affecting performances that have captivated critics worldwide.
A Standout of the Awards Season
HAMNET has emerged as one of the most talked-about films of the year, earning Academy Award nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, and a host of major craft categories including Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Casting, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, and Best Original Score.
The film also made waves at the Golden Globes, where it claimed Best Motion Picture – Drama, alongside Jessie Buckley’s win for Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama. Lauded for its emotional honesty and restrained storytelling, HAMNET continues to resonate with audiences for its intimate portrayal of love, grief, and creation.
Watch the Official Trailer here:
The Story Behind a Timeless Masterpiece
Set in late 16th-century England, HAMNET offers a poignant reimagining of the life of William Shakespeare and his wife Agnes. What begins as a passionate courtship blossoms into marriage and family life, with three children grounding their world.
As Will leaves for London to pursue a career in theater, Agnes remains behind, managing the household and holding their family together. When tragedy unexpectedly strikes, the couple’s enduring bond is pushed to its limits. Out of heartbreak and remembrance comes the emotional foundation that would later inspire Hamlet, one of the most enduring works in literary history.
A Film Best Experienced at Ayala Malls Cinemas
Ayala Malls Cinemas provides the ideal setting for a film as visually poetic and emotionally resonant as HAMNET. Every detail of the period drama is elevated through state-of-the-art digital projection, while the film’s evocative original score fills the theater with rich surround sound, amplifying each quiet moment and emotional turn.
With premium seating, refreshed interiors, and a thoughtfully curated cinematic environment, Ayala Malls Cinemas allows audiences to fully immerse themselves in stories that matter. Known for showcasing critically acclaimed films and award-winning masterpieces, it remains the perfect venue to experience Hamnet’s quiet strength and lasting impact.
A Vision Trusted by Cinema Legends
Producer Steven Spielberg praised Chloé Zhao’s approach to the material, expressing confidence in her ability to bring O’Farrell’s novel to the screen with sensitivity and care.
“The beautiful and memorable storytelling in Maggie O’Farrell’s best-selling novel deserved to be brought to the screen by a filmmaker who would protect the material’s integrity and demonstrate an intuitive understanding of the emotional and complex journey that the characters—and the audience—take over the course of the story. There was only one director I knew who would bring Hamnet to the screen with such compassionate care, and that is Chloé Zhao,” says Spielberg. “In adapting the novel with Maggie, Chloé’s inherent humanity, unerring sense of narrative, and gift for getting remarkable performances infuse every frame of Hamnet”.
Celebrate Valentine’s Day with an Early Access Screening
Audiences looking for a meaningful Valentine’s Day experience can be among the first to watch HAMNET during Early Access screenings on February 14 at 6:30 PM, available at select Ayala Malls Cinemas locations:
- Trinoma
- Glorietta 4
- Ayala Malls Manila Bay
HAMNET opens exclusively at Ayala Malls Cinemas on February 18. Book tickets now at www.sureseats.com.
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