Gibson, who had grown up idolizing one of his costars, legendary Shakespearean actor Paul Scofield, compared the experience of performing Shakespeare alongside him to being, 'thrown into the ring with Mike Tyson'. Filming was set to begin on 23 April 1990, with an 11-week shooting schedule. Glenn Close was another obvious choice, having had recent box-office success with such Hollywood thrillers as Jagged Edge and Fatal Attraction.įinancing was provided on loan from a Dutch bank by Carolco Pictures, Barry Spikings' Nelson Entertainment, and Sovereign Pictures for approximately $16 million. Zeffirelli had set out to make a Shakespearian adaptation that would be accessible and appealing to younger viewers, and casting Gibson was considered an intent to lure said audience into seeing it. Mel Gibson was at that same press conference, where it was announced that he would play Hamlet. Zeffirelli announced production of the film in April 1989 at a press conference in Los Angeles. Christopher Fairbank as the Player Queen.Michael Maloney and Sean Murray as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.Paul Scofield as the ghost of King Hamlet.This version also makes no modern day adaptations. The film largely follows the plot of the original play, albeit omitting certain dialogue and minor characters to fit the average length of a feature film.

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