MUBI acquires ‘GTA V’-set COVID-lockdown documentary, ‘Grand Theft Hamlet’

A still from ‘Grand Theft Hamlet’
| Photo Credit: MUBI

Mubi has acquired the U.S. and global streaming rights for Grand Theft Hamlet, an experimental documentary that blends Shakespeare’s Hamlet with the Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto V. Directed by Pinny Grylls and Sam Crane, the film follows two actors navigating the 2021 COVID lockdown as they attempt to stage Hamlet entirely within the virtual world of GTAV. The project premiered at SXSW this year, winning the documentary feature jury award and praise for its inventive storytelling.

Grand Theft Hamlet is set for a U.K. premiere at the BFI London Film Festival on October 15, with a special showing at BFI Imax on October 20. Mubi plans to release the film globally on its platform in early 2025, with further details forthcoming.

The acquisition is part of Mubi’s growing investment in theatrical and streaming releases. Following the success of Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance, which grossed nearly $10 million domestically, Mubi has secured high-profile titles from Venice Film Festival, including Queer, starring Daniel Craig, and Alex Ross Perry’s music documentary Pavements. Other recent acquisitions include Bird by Andrea Arnold and Magnus von Horn’s The Girl With the Needle, both Cannes titles.