Grand Theft Hamlet
{{Short description|2024 documentary film}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Grand Theft Hamlet
| image = Grand Theft Hamlet poster.png
| alt =
| caption = US theatrical release poster
| native_name =
| director = {{Plainlist|
}}
| writer = {{Plainlist|
- Sam Crane
- Pinny Grylls
}}
| story =
| based_on =
| producer = Julia Ton
Rebecca Wolff
| starring = Sam Crane
Mark Oosterveen
| narrator =
| cinematography = Pinny Grylls
| editing = Pinny Grylls
| music = Jamie Perera
| studio = {{Plainlist|
- Project 1961
- Grasp the Nettle Films
- Park Pictures
}}
| distributor = Tull Stories{{cite web|title=Tull Stories acquires 'Grand Theft Hamlet' for UK-Ireland theatrical release|website=Screen International|first=Ben|last=Dalton|date=15 October 2024|access-date=15 October 2024|url=https://www.screendaily.com/news/grand-theft-hamlet-acquired-for-uk-ireland-cinema-release-exclusive/5198157.article|archive-date=23 October 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241023084714/https://www.screendaily.com/news/grand-theft-hamlet-acquired-for-uk-ireland-cinema-release-exclusive/5198157.article|url-status=live}}
| released = {{Film date|df=y|2024|03||SXSW|2024|12|6|United Kingdom|2025|1|17|United States}}
| runtime = 89 minutes
| country = United Kingdom
| language = English
| budget =
| gross = $214,530{{Cite web|title=Grand Theft Hamlet – Financial Information|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl1361477633/?ref_=bo_we_table_26|website=Box Office Mojo|access-date=February 7, 2025|archive-date=28 November 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241128205215/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl1361477633/?ref_=bo_we_table_26|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|title=Grand Theft Hamlet – Financial Information|url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Grand-Theft-Hamlet-(2024-United-Kingdom)#tab=summary|website=The Numbers|access-date=February 7, 2025|archive-date=28 November 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241128205215/https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Grand-Theft-Hamlet-(2024-United-Kingdom)#tab=summary|url-status=live}}
}}
Grand Theft Hamlet is a 2024 British documentary film directed by Sam Crane and Pinny Grylls.{{Cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2024/03/grand-theft-hamlet-altitude-actors-production-inside-gta-1235850197/ |title='Grand Theft Hamlet': Altitude Boards SXSW Doc About Actors Who Staged Hamlet Production Inside 'Grand Theft Auto' Video Game |website=Deadline Hollywood |date=8 March 2024 |access-date=16 March 2024}} The film is about the staging of a production of Hamlet in the video game Grand Theft Auto Online during one of the UK's COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns in 2021.{{Cite web |last=Zilko |first=Christian |date=2024-03-13 |title='Grand Theft Hamlet' Filmmakers Talk Staging Shakespeare Inside 'GTA': 'If They Thought We Were Sh*t, They Were Gonna Shoot Us' |url=https://www.indiewire.com/features/interviews/grand-theft-hamlet-filmmakers-interview-sxsw-1234964017/ |access-date=2024-03-14 |website=IndieWire |language=en-US}}
Premise
The documentary follows Sam Crane and Mark Oosterveen as they attempt to cast and produce a live virtual production of William Shakespeare's play Hamlet in the video game Grand Theft Auto Online while staying home due to lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. The film is shot entirely within the video game as a Machinima production and the subjects are all depicted by their in-game avatars.{{Cite web |title=Grand Theft Auto: How Shakespeare's Hamlet found a virtual stage |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c789pev9dgpo |access-date=2024-12-23 |website=BBC News |language=en-GB}}
Release
The film premiered at the 2024 SXSW Film Festival, where it won the Grand Jury Award for best documentary feature.{{Cite web |title='Bob Trevino Likes It', 'Grand Theft Hamlet' top SXSW juried award winners |url=https://www.screendaily.com/news/bob-trevino-likes-it-grand-theft-hamlet-top-sxsw-juried-award-winners/5191590.article#:~:text=Tracie%20Laymon's%20Bob%20Trevino%20Likes,home%20the%20documentary%20feature%20prize. |access-date=2024-03-16 |website=screendaily.com}} The film was released theatrically in the United Kingdom on 6 December 2024 by Tull Stories, with Mubi releasing the film theatrically in the United States on 17 January 2025 and globally on its streaming service on 21 February 2025.{{cite web |last=Kennedy |first=Victoria |date=15 October 2024 |title=Hamlet film made in GTA Online coming to US cinemas and global streaming services |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/hamlet-film-made-in-gta-online-coming-to-us-cinemas-and-global-streaming-services |access-date=25 October 2024 |website=Eurogamer}}
Reception
{{Rotten Tomatoes prose|93|7.9|75|A startling example of using any tools at your disposal to make memorable art, Grand Theft Hamlet{{'}}s experimental approach does justice by the Bard.}}{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/grand_theft_hamlet|title=Grand Theft Hamlet|website=Rotten Tomatoes|access-date=15 March 2025}} {{Metacritic film prose|82|25|access-date=15 March 2025}}{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/grand-theft-hamlet/|title=Grand Theft Hamlet|website=Metacritic|access-date=15 March 2025}}
Glenn Kenny of RogerEbert.com gave the film four out of four stars and wrote, "More than just a shaggy dog story, Grand Theft Hamlet is a pointed, entertaining and moving examination of interdisciplinary conductivity at its most surprising."{{cite web|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/grand-theft-hamlet-film-review-2025|title=Grand Theft Hamlet|first=Glenn|last=Kenny|author-link=Glenn Kenny|website=RogerEbert.com|date=January 14, 2025|access-date=January 15, 2025}}
=Accolades=
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" |
| scope="col"| Award / Film Festival
! scope="col"| Date of ceremony ! scope="col"| Category ! scope="col"| Recipient(s) ! scope="col"| Result ! scope="col" class="unsortable"| {{Tooltip|Ref.|Reference(s)}} |
|---|
| scope="row"| SXSW Film Festival
| 13 March 2024 | Jury Award for best documentary feature | Grand Theft Hamlet | {{won}} |
| scope="row" rowspan="2"|British Independent Film Awards
| rowspan="2"| 8 December 2024 | Best debut director (feature documentary) | Sam Crane and Pinny Grylls | {{won}} |
| Raindance Maverick Award
| Grand Theft Hamlet | {{won}} |
| scope="row"| Vancouver International Film Festival
| 17 October 2024 | Audience Award | Grand Theft Hamlet | {{won}} |
| scope="row"| 57th Sitges Film Festival
| 12 October 2024 | Best Sitges Documenta Film | Grand Theft Hamlet | {{won}} |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb title|28244549}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grand Theft Hamlet}}
{{Grand Theft Auto}}
{{Hamlet}}
Category:2024 documentary films
Category:Films based on Hamlet
Category:British documentary films
Category:Documentary films about the COVID-19 pandemic
Category:Documentary films about video games