(Updated 11/28/2022)
There’s real magic to seeing a movie in a theater. The lights dim, the picture starts, and new sights and sounds transport you into another world. It’s an experience we share with the other people in the audience through laughter, applause, and tears. We go to the movies because we love the experience, and it’s this very sense of shared affection that beats in the heart of EMPIRE OF LIGHT.
Written and directed by Academy Award winner Sam Mendes (SKYFALL), the new romantic drama is a love letter to the art of cinema — it's a movie for people who love movies. Ahead, we’ll take a closer look at the story, the stars, and the people making the magic happen behind the scenes of EMPIRE OF LIGHT.
The Story
Set in the 1980s, EMPIRE OF LIGHT revolves around the employees of a local cinema in a small town off the coast of England. With its red velvet seats and brightly lit marquee, the Empire is a quintessential classic movie theater. It’s the perfect place to find yourself caught up in a sweeping love story, which is why it’s not terribly surprising when it becomes the setting for a real-life love story between Hilary (Olivia Colman), who runs the front of house and concession stand, and the Empire’s newest employee, Stephen (Micheal Ward).
Despite their obvious differences and the individual struggles they face, Hilary and Stephen are united by their love of cinema. The Empire is where their beautiful love story begins, but where—and how—does it end?
The Stars
EMPIRE OF LIGHT features a fantastic ensemble led by Olivia Colman, the Oscar-winning star of THE FAVOURITE. With a career that spans more than 20 years, Colman has earned acclaim for her roles on screens both big and small. She was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for the 2020 drama THE FATHER and received a nomination the following year for Best Actress for her role in THE LOST DAUGHTER. Colman is also an enduring favorite on TV with roles in "The Crown," "Fleabag," and "Broadchurch."
Colman's love interest is played by Micheal Ward, a Jamaican-born actor who made his big screen debut in 2016’s BROTHERHOOD. More recently, Ward appeared opposite Charlize Theron in the superhero movie THE OLD GUARD and earned a BAFTA nomination for his part in the SMALL AXE anthology directed by Steve McQueen.
EMPIRE OF LIGHT also stars Colin Firth as theater manager Mr. Ellis and Toby Jones as Norman, the Empire’s film projectionist. Best known and loved for his roles in THE KINGSMAN and BRIDGET JONES’S DIARY, Firth plays a decidedly less likable character in EMPIRE OF LIGHT. Jones is a veteran character actor best known in the U.S. for playing the villainous Arnim Zola in the first two CAPTAIN AMERICA movies, but his lengthy filmography also includes a few iconic roles: Alfred Hitchcock in "The Girl," Truman Capote in CAPOTE, and Dobby the house elf in the HARRY POTTER franchise.
The Magic Makers
Every movie fan knows that the people working behind the scenes are just as essential as the stars on screen. EMPIRE OF LIGHT is written and directed by Sam Mendes, who made his directorial debut with the 1999 drama AMERICAN BEAUTY—a film that earned eight Academy Award nominations and won five Oscars. Since then, Mendes has directed some truly great dramas, including JARHEAD, REVOLUTIONARY ROAD, and SKYFALL.
To bring EMPIRE OF LIGHT to life, Mendes enlisted legendary cinematographer and two-time Oscar-winner Roger Deakins. Among cinephiles, Deakins is celebrated for shooting some of the best-looking films in modern history. In addition to collaborating with Mendes on several films, Deakins’s credits include BLADE RUNNER 2049, NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, and SICARIO.
Rounding out this acclaimed group of artists are musicians Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. The duo, who won the Oscar for Best Original Score for THE SOCIAL NETWORK and Pixar’s SOUL, composed the score for EMPIRE OF LIGHT, and you can hear a brief preview of their work in the first teaser trailer for the film.
EMPIRE OF LIGHT opens on December 9.
All images courtesy of Searchlight Pictures.