Empire of Light, directed by Sam Mendes, has a release date now, thanks to Searchlight Pictures’ decision to come out of hiding. This year’s darkest month is about to be brightened up by this year’s most anticipated film, which premieres on December 9th. Cast members include Oscar-winners Olivia Colman (The Favourite), Micheal Ward (Blue Story), and Colin Firth (The King’s Speech), who began filming in February of this year. Tom Brooke, Toby Jones, Hannah Onslow, Crystal Clarke, & Tanya Moodie are among the cast members.
Empire of Light will take set in the early 1980s, but story details are being withheld for the time being.
Audiences will go on a voyage to a coastal town in England, where they will see a lovely, ancient movie theatre from the days of old. Relationships will be built and romance will flourish inside the classic structure as the love of film unites its key characters. Filming was conducted along the picturesque Kent coastline in the late winter and early spring to give you a great idea of what to anticipate. Overcast rainy days and beautiful cliffs rising above the sea may be expected, as spring begins to offer more sunshine.
Mendes’ comeback to filmmaking with Empire of Light will be his first since his critically acclaimed 2019 war drama, 1917. The World War I-themed picture was nominated for a whopping ten Academy Awards that year, winning three of them: Best Cinematography, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Visual Effects, among others. Mendes’ previous films, including American Beauty, Road to Perdition, Revolutionary Road, Skyfall, and Spectre, have all received critical acclaim from the film industry’s elite. Mendes enlisted the services of award-winning cinematographer Roger Deakins, with whom he has worked on several previous projects (1917, Skyfall).
In the wake of Empire of Light’s release, the two have already won a slew of accolades for their previous collaborations. It will be Mendes’ first time writing a script on his own since he has previously collaborated with other writers on past projects. His and Pippa Harris’ Neal Street Productions label will produce the film. There will be plenty of Empire of Light news in the near future, as the game’s release date has been confirmed. Always keep an eye on Collider for any new details that may come to light.