In Grand Theft Hamlet, London-based couple Pinny Grylls, a documentary filmmaker, and Sam Crane, a veteran actor, begin an experiment in creativity they had no roadmap for. In early 2020, Crane was cast in the high-profile starring role in the London production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child ... when the Covid-19 shutdowns brought the world to a standstill.
After months of wondering when friends could get together again, life would get back to normal, and theatres could be attended, Crane was watching his and Grylls’ preteen son play the seminal videogame Grand Theft Auto. Soon, Crane contacted his friend and fellow thespian, Mark Oosterveen, and together they set up avatars within the game, eventually deciding to perform a Shakespeare play inside the virtual world of the popular Rockstar Games, Inc., title.
This film charts their ridiculous, hilarious and moving adventure as they battle violent griefers and discover surprising truths about life, friendship and the enduring power of Shakespeare.
Grand Theft Hamlet played the 2024 SXSW Film Festival and won the Innovation Award at the 2022 Stage Awards held in London in January 2023.
MUBI will release Grand Theft Hamlet in US theaters on January 17, 2025.