It's unlikely that any text has withstood so many screen adaptations – and with such diverse and stimulating results – as Shakespeare's Hamlet. Now Emile Hirsch, the adventurous young star of Into the Wild, is set to play Hamletin a contemporary treatment to be directed by Catherine Hardwicke, who made Thirteenand Twilight.

The play has been adapted by Ron Nyswaner and will be produced by the

Milk

team of Dan Jinks and Bruce Cohen.

“Hamlet was in college when the story takes place, yet there hasn’t been a movie version with an appropriately aged actor in the role,” say the producers. “Our goal is to present the story as a suspense thriller. We want to make it exciting and accessible for an audience today.”

Hardwicke, who directed Hirsch in Lords of Dogtown, says: "When I heard Emile speaking Shakespeare's amazing words, I was flooded with images. We're working hard to make Hamleta thrilling experience. The violent, intense, and romantic scenes that happen off-stage in the play will be shown in vivid detail."