A film “Grand Theft Hamlet” shot entirely inside GTA 5 based on Shakespeare’s Hamlet is soon to hit US theaters as well as stream globally.
It is common for the films to be inspired by games like Minecraft and Roblox movies. However, Grand Theft Hamlet is an unusual film shot (read: screen recorded) entirely in the game.
The story of the film follows the two jobless actors as they try to produce a stage play of Shakespeare’s Hamlet within the violent world of GTA.
The film created by Pinny Grylls and Sam Crane is also critically acclaimed. The Variety wrote, “The backdrop is tantalizing beyond the mordant amusement of seeing actors die on stage in ways they haven’t before”. On the other hand, Hollywood Reporter mentions the film as “highly amusing and often touching.”
The film has also won a jury documentary feature competition at the SXSW Film Festival. Moreover, it has been selected by 16 independent film festivals as well. The overall rating of the film on Mubi is 6.8 out of 10 with only one review.
Why is the GTA film getting the theatrical release?
It is unclear why the film which is merely a screen recording (as the trailer shows) is getting a release in the cinema. There might be more in the film as the critics suggest. Or it can just be a gamble on the fans of the GTA franchise, for them to just show up to see their favorite game on the big screen. It can also just become famous as a cult favorite.
One thing is worth acknowledging gamers are able to immerse themselves in many creative ways in the gaming world. If this film gets a fair turnout, could there be the possibility of a new genre of films: Gaming films?
Currently, the response to this announcement is mixed on X. Many people are complaining about keeping the minimap as it spoils the believable element of it being a “film”. However, someone also replied “I need to watch this immediately” while the other person could not tell if this was stupid or brilliant.
However, it is to be noted and swallowed like a hard pill as one person stated “We got Hamlet in GTA before GTA VI”.