Riz Ahmed In Talks To Star In Netflix's Hamlet

Off the heels of his Emmy win for his work on HBO's The Night Of, actor Riz Ahmed is turning his eyes toward his next big project. As reported by Deadline, Ahmed is in negotiations to star in Netflix's Hamlet, which adapts the classic Shakespearean tragedy into a contemporary setting but keeps many of the same dark themes. 

Hamlet will be set in modern-day London in the throes of political uncertainty, social strains, and economic strife, and will center around "intersecting themes of familial honor, moral duty, and dynastic corruption." Jim Wilson (Under the Skin, Attack the Block, You Were Never Really There) is attached to produce the pic, with Netflix handling financing and distribution. Ahmed developed the project alongside writer Mike Lesslie (Macbeth, Assassin's Creed), whom he met while they were both in college. 

Known for his roles as Bodhi Rook in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Rick in Nightcrawler, and Elias Rahim in Netflix's The OA, Ahmed has also made a major name for himself for his activism. Not only did he published an essay in The Good Immigrant and gave a speech at the House of Commons, but he also made history as the first man of South Asian descent and the second Asian actor ever to win the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie. It seems Ahmed can use Hamlet as a way to further amplify his voice and help push projects with social impact to the forefront of Hollywood.

Next up on Ahmed's plate is The Sisters Brothers for Annapurna, where he will star alongside Joaquin Phoenix and his Nightcrawler co-star Jake Gyllenhaal, and the Spider-Man spin-off Venom for Sony, which has Tom Hardy on board as the lead.