While Grand Theft Auto 6 may feel like an eternity away, we finally have just the thing to fill the void momentarily – may I present Grand Theft Hamlet. Made entirely in GTA 5, the film documents the lockdown experience of two out-of-work actors as they try to recreate the Shakespearean classic inside the violent world of Los Santos.
While the documentary is perhaps the most bizarre way to make an indie film I've ever seen, its unique premise expands the confines of filmmaking for the better. Grounded in a spirit of exploration in the lockdown era, it's a time capsule of an unprecedented era. I have to say it – I can't believe we got Shakespeare in GTA before GTA 6.
Directed by friends Pinny Grylls and Sam Crane, Grand Theft Hamlet was born out of a GTA Online gaming session. When the pair stumbled across a humble theatre it sparked the idea: "Why not stage Hamelt inside the game?" – I mean, a play centred around revenge is the perfect fit for GTA's violent gameplay. Despite its playful charm, the documentary prompts larger questions about the future of the arts sphere and the developing world of movie production.
"The cinematic potential of Los Santos is immediately apparent, with its glittering, mind-blowingly detailed cityscape and surrounding countryside, the ray-traced rendering of light, ever-changing weather systems and intricate sound design. By using the in-game phone camera we were able to get intimate close ups and cinematic pans across landscapes – enabling a more cinematic visual language and moments of pathos, emotion and lyricism to exist within the chaos and violence of this undiscovered country," the directors share on the film's official website.
Ok I can talk about this now: GRAND THEFT HAMLET was by far the *best* thing I saw at @sxsw — incredible use of a virtual environment, says loads about community & creativity, and proves you can still make art even when trolls are firing rocket launchers at you. Someone buy this. pic.twitter.com/eLzPywXo5eMarch 14, 2024
pic.twitter.com/rOiwLFSc2COctober 10, 2024
I'll admit that when I first heard about Grand Theft Hamlet I thought it was a hilarious but novel premise, but delving deeper into the making of the film I can see it's an engaging commentary on community and the evolving world of the arts. I can't wait for it to be released early next year. For more creative inspiration, take a look at the creative process behind Amazon's Fallout series made using Unreal Engine 5 and check out what the future of AI in filmmaking means for creatives.
