Film distributor and streaming service Mubi has acquired the Subscription Video on Demand distribution rights for Grand Theft Hamlet, a documentary about two out-of-work actors attempting to put on a production of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. However, there’s a twist: the entire production is in the video game Grand Theft Auto.
Husband and wife duo Sam Crane and Pinny Grylls wrote and directed the film, which premiered at and won the documentary feature jury award at South by Southwest’s Film & TV Festival. The film will also premiere in the United Kingdom at the British Film Institute’s London Film Festival on Oct. 15. The actual production of Hamlet within the game won The Stage Innovation Award in 2023.
Crane is a stage actor with a career spanning over 20 years. He currently plays the lead, Harry Potter, in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child‘s West End production. Crane also appeared in Ridley Scott’s Napolean as Jacques-Louis David.
Grand Theft Hamlet is Grylls’ first feature-length documentary. Although, her previous short documentary, Peter and Ben, was also screened at South by Southwest. Grylls’ has directed and edited documentaries for the BBC, BFI Doc Society, The Guardian, etc. She is also the co-founder of the Birds Eye View Film Festival, which aims to uplift filmmaking from women and non-binary people.
In January 2021, during the pandemic lockdown, actors Sam and Mark became engrossed in playing GTA to escape the confines of social isolation. GTA allows players to explore an open world and do everything from the game’s namesake and stealing cars to competing in a tennis match. While exploring GTA, Sam and Mark found a theater and considered staging a production in the game. Grand Theft Hamlet follows this journey. The concept stands in stark contrast to the usual objectives of the game, which makes it intriguing.
Mubi obtained U.S. distribution rights for Grand Theft Hamlet‘s theatrical release and global rights for streaming. Mubi has recently attempted to broaden its theatrical scope. Most recently, they distributed Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance. Additionally, Mubi just signed a multi-territory deal for Challenger‘s director Luca Guadagnino‘s upcoming film starring Daniel Craig, Queer. A24 will be distributing the film in the U.S., but Mubi secured the rights for the film in the UK, Ireland, Canada, Latin America, Germany, Turkey, India, etc.
