Steven Spielberg surprised the London Film Festival audience with a last-minute appearance at the premiere of Chloé Zhao's Hamnet, staged at Royal Festival Hall on Saturday night. The veteran director joined Zhao on stage, praising her latest project and the bold approach Zhao took with the film. Spielberg recalled meeting Zhao at a dinner honoring Oscar-nominated directors, highlighting the long-standing respect between two of today's most influential filmmakers. The Royal Festival Hall crowd erupted in cheers as Zhao's Hamnet took the spotlight, with Spielberg hailing Zhao's ability to capture the seismic heartbeat of the earth in her work. The moment underscored the strong professional bond between Spielberg and Zhao and left festival-goers excited for Hamnet's reception around the world.