NEW YORK — Benedict Cumberbatch, who recently begged fans not to film him playing the lead in “Hamlet,” has broken a record while being filmed playing the lead in “Hamlet.”

More than 225,000 viewers watched Cumberbatch tackle the melancholy prince of Denmark at movie theaters around the world Thursday during a live – or in some cases delayed – telecast from London’s Barbican Theatre.

That’s the largest global audience for a live broadcast of any title in National Theatre Live history.

The broadcast played on over 1,400 screens and in 25 countries.

– From news service reports