Sam Mendes has cemented himself as one of the most versatile filmmakers working in the industry today, making a vast number of films that have remained relevant in the industry to this day. With a resume featuring military commentaries like Jarhead (2005), crowd-pleasing action blockbusters like Skyfall (2012), and Oscar-winning spectacles like 1917 (2019), he's easily become an industry favorite, even joining the very exclusive club of Best Director winners for his work on American Beauty (1999). With an impressive collection of movies like that, Mendes could easily make any movie he wants, and it's about time he made a movie about movies with Empire of Light (2022).
Following Best Actress recipient Olivia Colman as a struggling movie theater manager, the latest film from Sam Mendes has been billed as an ode to filmmaking, and the power that going to the movies can have on a person in providing both escapism and a new perspective on life. It joins a packed year of films that are also a tribute to the art form. Earlier this year we saw Jordan Peele deliver his commentary on the lengths people will go to get the perfect shot in the extraterrestrial thriller Nope (2022), and Steven Spielberg himself told his own story about how he fell in love with cinema with the semi-autobiographical The Fabelmans (2022) which recently hit theaters.
To find out when and where the celebrated filmmaker's latest is releasing, simply read below to find out.
Related:‘Empire of Light’: Release Date, Trailer, Cast, and Everything We Know So Far
Is Empire of Light Releasing on Streaming or in Theaters?
It would be fairly ironic if a movie all about the power of the movie theater was released on streaming instead of the theater. Rest assured, Empire of Light will be premiering exclusively in theaters come early December. No word yet on a streaming release, but given that it's a production of the 20th Century-owned Searchlight Pictures, Hulu seems like the most likely candidate if and when the film is released online. Another potential candidate is Disney+ since 20th Century Studios was somewhat recently purchased by the Walt Disney Company, but Empire of Light being rated R does make that unlikely despite the recent additions of movies like Deadpool (2016) to the service.
What Is the Release Date for Empire of Light?
Sam Mendes invites you to attend the cinema to see Empire of Light when it premieres in select theaters on December 9th, 2022.
Find Showtimes for Empire of Light:
You can check out the links below to find showtimes and tickets for Empire of Light at a theater near you:
Watch the Trailer for Empire of Light
The official trailer for Empire of Light introduces Hilary (Olivia Colman) - a humble manager of the titular movie theater who is facing her own personal mental health struggles. These struggles are alleviated when she meets a young new employee named Stephen (Michael Ward), and the two quickly perform a bond with each other, despite Stephen facing social pressure of his own. The trailer makes some pretty compelling cases for why the film is worth seeing on the big screen, complete with some stunning as-ever cinematography from the great Roger Deakins and a few quotes from critics singing the praises of the new film.
What Is the Plot of Empire of Light
The official synopsis for Empire of Light reads as follows:
Hilary (Olivia Colman) is a cinema manager struggling with her mental health, and Stephen (Micheal Ward) is a new employee longing to escape the provincial town where he faces daily adversity. Together they find a sense of belonging and experience the healing power of music, cinema, and community.
Coleman and Ward are also joined by Toby Jones (The Mist) and Collin Firth (The King's Speech) making for an impressive star-studded cast to bring this poignant tale of cinematic wonder to life.
How Has Empire of Light Been Received So Far?
Empire of Light began its festival run at the Telluride Film Festival early this year, and since then early reviews and reactions have generally been quite positive. The above trailer includes some of the praise that the film has received thus far, most of it praising the incredible performances from both Olivia Coleman and Michael Ward. Vanity Fair even makes the remarkably bold claim that this is one of Mendes' best works, which is quite a statement considering how many classics he's made, calling Empire of Light
"An achingly beautiful film - the best Mendes has yet made".
Collider's own Ross Bonaime was more mixed on the film saying:
"Yet Mendes’ film does have the tiniest slivers of magic poking through the seams, proving his thesis about the beauty of film, even when he’s too distracted to focus on that idea himself."
Related:Olivia Colman Shines When She's Screaming at People
Other Movies That Capture the Magic of Movie Making
Singin' in the Rain (1952): Gene Kelly's musical masterpiece set in 1920s Hollywood is a celebration of movies in every sense of the word. Kelly stars as Don Lockwood, a stuntman-turned-silent film star whose entire career is thrown into limbo once sound becomes a major component of the motion picture industry. Kelly is nothing short of astoundingly charming in the film, and he's aided by two of the few people in the industry at the time who could keep up with his humor and technical skill, those people being Donald O'Conner and Debbie Reynolds.
The Artist (2011): The recipient of a whopping five Academy Awards including Best Picture, The Artist is in many ways the anti-Singin' in the Rain. This is also a movie set in 1920s Hollywood that follows a silent film star struggling to find his place in the evolving industry, only this time instead of being a bombastic musical, the film is shot as if it were a black and white silent film. This means that stars Jean Dujardin (The Wolf of Wall Street) and Bérénice Bejo (The Past) have to particularly use visual expressions and acting to tell their story, making for a meticulous piece of art.
The Fabelmans (2022): Steven Spielberg's latest film may still be playing in theaters, but it's already been hailed as the movie to beat this awards season. Critics have praised Spielberg's unique telling of his filmmaking journey and how his parents, family, and friends influenced him on that journey. With Empire of Light's thesis seemingly being how movies can make such a positive impact on people, The Fabelmans seems to be absolute proof of that.
