Quick Summary
Shakespeare meets Grand Theft Auto. Sounds like a car crash, right?
Well, not according to critics, who've heaped acclaim on such a film. Here's when you can watch it.
As iconic and recognisable gaming franchises go, Grand Theft Auto is up there with the best of them. The iconic title is now in its fifth iteration, with users eagerly awaiting the arrival of GTA 6.
The franchise fuses a number of different elements. Players can do everything from wandering around the streets of Los Santos, to breaking into airports and flying the planes.
One thing we hadn't seen in the game was a recreation of a classic Shakespeare play. That is until now.
A duo of producers have have created a film called Grand Theft Hamlet, which sees the classic Shakespeare play brought to life within the game. That all stemmed from the Covid-19 lockdowns.
When theatre actors Sam Crane and Mark Oosterveen found themselves out of work thanks to the restrictions, they decided to stage a full production of Hamlet, within the Grand Theft Auto universe.
If that sounds completely and utterly nonsensical to you, well, join the club. The whole thing sounds rather leftfield, and not at all like a flick which would earn critical acclaim.
However, it has! At the time of writing, 21 reviews on the Rotten Tomatoes website have given Grand Theft Hamlet an awe-inspiring 95% rating. That's higher than a wide range of popular movies.
Critic Alan Ng said, "[Grand Theft Hamlet] could damn well introduce Shakespearean classics to a new generation of virtual gang-bangers, pimps, and hos," while Brian Tallerico said, "We haven’t even scratched the surface of 'Pandemic Stories' that will unfold on screen over the next generation, but you won’t see another one quite like this."
If you're reading those reviews and thinking you absolutely have to see it for yourself, you can! The film will be made available to watch in cinemas across the UK and Ireland from the 6th of December this year.
I'm certainly intrigued by the premise. While I can't say I'm wholeheartedly sold right off the bat, it should make for a nice break from the usual festive flicks around that time.
