Empire of Light just received a release date, courtesy of a press release from Searchlight Pictures. The film is the latest project to be helmed by Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes. Empire of Light will shine in theaters on Dec. 9th. The full press release says:
The film will also feature Toby Jones, Sara Stewart, Tanya Moodie, Tom Brooke, Crystal Clarke, Mark Ryan, and Hannah Onslow. Celia Duval, Pippa Harris, Sam Mendes, and Lola Oliyide will produce, with Michael Lerman and Julie Pastor serving as EP. David Greenbaum and Matthew Greenfield are supervising producers. Empire of Light will be the first solo screenplay and second screenplay overall for Sam Mendes. This is the fifth collaboration between legendary cinematographer Roger Deakins and Mendes, following Jarhead, Revolutionary Road, Skyfall, and 1917.
Set in an English seaside town in the early 1980s. Empire of Light is a powerful and poignant story about human connection and the magic of cinema from Academy Award winning director Sam Mendes. Empire of Light features a stellar cast led by Academy Award winner Olivia Colman (The Favourite, The Lost Daughter), BAFTA winner Michael Ward (Blue Story, Top Boy) and Academy Award winner Colin Firth (The King’s Speech, A Single Man). It also reunited Mendes with Academy Award winning cinematographer Roger Deakins (1917, Skyfall).
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As Deadline reported in February, Mendes was delighted to work with such high-level talent for Empire of Light.
Check out your theater on Dec. 9th to see the latest film from Sam Mendes, Empire of Light.
“I’m really thrilled to be working with so many wonderful collaborators across both cast and crew on such a personal project. It’s a particular thrill to be working for the first time with Olivia Colman, and to be working once again with my long-term collaborator Roger Deakins.”
Sam Mendes Has Proven Himself in Hollywood
Sam Mendes made his feature-length directorial debut with American Beauty in 1999, starring Kevin Spacey, which led to five Oscar wins, including Best Picture and Best Director. Since then, Mendes has gone on to direct several tremendous successes in Hollywood. These include Road to Perdition, Jarhead, Revolutionary Road, Skyfall, Spectre, and 1917. In total, Mendes has four Oscar nominations, with one win. Empire of Light will be the first project for the director since 2019.
Searchlight has set dates for the rest of its theatrical run this year, including See How They Run on Sept. 16th, The Banshees of Inisherin on Oct. 21st, and The Menu on Nov. 18th. Fans will hope that Empire of Light continues Mendes’s hot streak that started at the beginning of his career when the film releases in December.
