Legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg slipped into the Royal Festival Hall in London this evening to introduce Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet, his latest credit as a producer, to a packed London Film Festival audience.
Spielberg appeared alongside filmmaker Sam Mendes, fresh off the current shoot of his forthcoming Beatles biopics, who also serves as a producer on Hamnet alongside Pippa Harris, Liza Marshall, and Nicolas Gonda. Mendes introduced Spielberg, whom he described as the “maestro”, on stage, at which point the Royal Festival Hall erupted into applause.
Introducing Hamnet, Spielberg spoke at length about Zhao and his admiration for her work.
“We have become friends and have lunch at Amblin. I’m just amazed by her, starting with her Sundance Labs film Songs My Brothers Taught Me. Then she did the incredible film The Rider. And then, of course, Nomadland,” Spielberg said.
“I really believe the earth has a heartbeat. It’s a 24/7 seismic cycle, and all of us are connected to this heartbeat, which happens right under our feet. But Chloé Zhao is connected to it in a profound way because it’s where her art comes from.”
Spielberg continued: “It’s what she brings to set every day, it’s what she anoints and shares with her cast every day. And I really believe that when you see Hamnet, you’ll be able to feel the seismic heartbeat of the earth because of Chloé Zhao.”
Steven Spielberg makes a surprise appearance at #LFF to introduce Chloe Zhao’s ‘Hamnet’.
Spielberg producers the film, which stars Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley pic.twitter.com/xsAqCu2lz0
— Deadline (@DEADLINE) October 11, 2025
Zhao arrived onstage with her cast, including Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley. Before the film started, the Oscar-winning filmmaker led the packed LFF audience in an extended series of breathing exercises. The experience, which we captured in a video below, was unique and could only be compared to a loose form of guided meditation.
Chloe Zhao opened her ‘Hamnet’ screening by asking the audience to take part in a set of unique breathing exercises #LFF pic.twitter.com/pa0y6YnDxA
— Deadline (@DEADLINE) October 11, 2025
Based on Maggie O’Farrell’s New York Times bestseller, Hamnet follows a young William Shakespeare (Mescal) and his wife Agnes (Buckley) as they fall in love and start a family that includes their son Hamnet (Jacobi Jupe). Then, when Tragedy strikes, Agnes and William deal with their grief in very different ways. Emily Watson and Joe Alwyn also star in the pic.
Focus Features will release the film in select theaters on Thanksgiving before taking it wide on December 12.
LFF runs until Oct 19.
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