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Paul Mescal’s recent and upcoming roles span three very different projects: he plays William Shakespeare in Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet, co-stars with Josh O’Connor in Oliver Hermanus’s romantic drama The History of Sound, and has been cast as Paul McCartney in Sam Mendes’s planned four-film Beatles project. The first two are released films; the Beatles films remain upcoming, with premieres announced for April 2028.
Who does Paul Mescal play in Hamnet?
Mescal plays William Shakespeare opposite Jessie Buckley as Agnes in Hamnet. Chloé Zhao directed the drama and wrote it with Maggie O’Farrell, whose 2020 novel is the film’s source. Focus Features’ film page describes a story of love and loss that inspired Hamlet.
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The film’s premise is imaginative, not a settled explanation of Shakespeare’s creative process. The Associated Press describes Hamnet as a fictional, speculative drama grounded in historical fact: Hamnet, one of William and Agnes Shakespeare’s three children, died in 1596 at age 11. The film considers a possible connection between his death and the creation of Hamlet. AP also notes that Hamnet and Hamlet were essentially interchangeable names in sixteenth-century England; that naming overlap does not prove what Shakespeare felt or why he wrote the play. The AP report and interview make that distinction important.
Mescal said the performers had little biographical information about Shakespeare and even less about Agnes, so they drew on their own experiences as artists. Describing his interpretation of Shakespeare, he said, “I think there’s a real engine underneath him. There’s someone who wanted to escape his life and love his life at the same time.” That is Mescal’s reading of the character, not a historical conclusion.
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He was similarly candid about historical pronunciation: “I’m sure there will be someone at Oxford who’ll be like, ‘He would have spoken with a weird hybrid accent because of the time period.’ OK, whatever. I don’t care.” It was a light remark in the AP interview, not evidence about how Shakespeare actually spoke.
Focus Features’ 2024 production announcement reported that O’Farrell’s novel had sold two million copies in the UK and US, had been translated into 40 languages, and had won the National Book Critics Circle Award and the Women’s Prize for Fiction. Those are figures and honors reported in that announcement, not a current sales audit. Readers interested in the source story can look for O’Farrell’s 2020 novel; no particular edition or retailer is implied here.
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What is The History of Sound?
The History of Sound is Oliver Hermanus’s romantic drama, starring Mescal and Josh O’Connor. The available reporting identifies the genre, director and co-star but does not establish a fuller plot synopsis here. Backstage’s interview with Mescal referenced a September 12 theatrical date in its 2025 context. That dated reference should not be read as current availability or as a present-day release listing.
When will Paul Mescal play Paul McCartney?
Mescal has been cast as McCartney in Sam Mendes’s planned set of four Beatles biopics. The Associated Press reported that Mendes announced the films would premiere in April 2028. That is the announced schedule, which could change; it does not mean the films have been released. AP reported the other principal casting as Harris Dickinson as John Lennon, Joseph Quinn as George Harrison and Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr. The AP announcement report covers the four-film plan.
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In the Backstage interview, Mescal described seeing himself as McCartney in early camera tests as “such an exciting ordeal.” He said he had long admired McCartney and was inspired by his relationship to his art. Speaking about the scrutiny attached to portraying the Beatles, Mescal said, “we’re approaching it with the greatest love and respect and rigor.” He also described his preparation in the interview: “I’ve definitely rehearsed for this longer than I’ve ever rehearsed for anything else in my entire life already.” These are his comments about the role and its preparation, not details about the finished performances or proof that production is complete.
How the three projects differ
| Project | Mescal’s role | Creative connection | Status and timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hamnet | William Shakespeare | Chloé Zhao directed; Jessie Buckley plays Agnes. Adapted from Maggie O’Farrell’s 2020 novel. | Focus Features lists a November 26, 2025 release. NBCUniversal announced Peacock streaming from March 6, 2026; availability may vary by territory and change. |
| The History of Sound | Role name not established in the cited reporting | Oliver Hermanus directed; Josh O’Connor co-stars. Identified as a romantic drama. | Backstage referenced a September 12 theatrical date in its 2025 context; current availability is not established here. |
| Sam Mendes’s Beatles films | Paul McCartney | Four-film project; reported principal cast also includes Harris Dickinson, Joseph Quinn and Barry Keoghan. | Announced for April 2028 premieres; this future schedule may change. |
The contrast is less a single career storyline than a shift in role and project status: Shakespeare in a released adaptation, a part in a romantic drama with O’Connor, and a future portrayal of McCartney in a four-film undertaking. Mescal’s own remarks establish that he has been preparing seriously for the last role, but the announced films are not yet a released performance to assess.
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Where to watch Hamnet
NBCUniversal announced on February 27, 2026 that Hamnet would begin streaming exclusively on Peacock on March 6, 2026, and listed a runtime of 125 minutes. This is a U.S.-platform announcement, not a guarantee of availability in every country or of present availability in a particular market. Check local listings for current access. NBCUniversal’s announcement provides the date and runtime.
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