The first trailer for Sam Mendes' Empire of Light is here – and it's got Oscar noms written all over it.
Set in a 1980s English seaside town, Empire of Light is a love story that doubles as a love letter to the magic of cinema – as it takes place at a movie theater frequented by Hillary (Olivia Colman), Stephen (Micheal Ward), and Norman (Toby Jones). The film also stars Tom Brooke, Tanya Moodie, Hannah Onslow, Crystal Clarke, and Colin Firth as Mr. Ellis.
Sam Mendes won both the Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Director back in 2000 for his directorial debut, American Beauty. Mendes would go on to Road to Perdition, starring Paul Newman in his final on-screen role, the Jake Gyllenhaal-led war drama Jarhead, Revolutionary Road, and the James Bond installments Skyfall and Spectre. 1917, a war film inspired by World War I stories told to Mendes by his grandfather Alfred, earned 10 nominations at the 2020 Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director, taking home Best Cinematography, Best Visual Effects, and Best Sound Mixing. Mendes is set to receive the Ebert Director Award at the Toronto International Film Festival in September.
Empire of Light is set to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, before going on to screen at the BFI London Film Festival Gala in October. The movie will make its theatrical debut in the United States on December 9, 2022.
For more, check out our list of the most exciting upcoming movies in 2022 and beyond.
