Burbank, CA – January 25, 2023 – From acclaimed filmmaker Sam Mendes (“1917,” “Skyfall”) comes the moving and Academy Award®* nominated “Empire of Light.” This deeply personal tale of love, friendship, and compassion set around a fading cinema in an English coastal town in the 1980s, has been described as “an achingly lovely film – the best Sam Mendes has yet made” (Richard Lawson, Vanity Fair) and features an acclaimed performance from Olivia Colman as a cinema manager coping with mental health issues. The film arrives on Digital February 7th and Blu-ray™ and DVD February 21st, with never-before-seen bonus content featuring Sam Mendes and the cast that uncovers the story’s origins and the director’s love of cinema.
SYNOPSIS
From director and writer Sam Mendes (“1917” and “Skyfall”), “Empire of Light” is a moving drama about the power of human connection during turbulent times. Set in and around a faded old cinema in an English coastal town in the early 1980s, it follows Hilary (Olivia Colman), a cinema manager struggling with her mental health, and Stephen (Micheal Ward), a new employee who longs to escape this provincial town in which he faces daily adversity. Hilary and Stephen find a sense of belonging through their unlikely and tender relationship and experience the healing power of music, cinema, and community.
Bonus Feature*:
- Featurette:
Creating Empire of Light – Go behind the scenes of this personal film with writer-director Sam Mendes, and uncover the story’s origins and the director’s love of cinema. See how the perfect location was found to rebuild a classic movie theater that had the cast in awe
*Bonus features vary by product and retailer.
Starring Olivia Colman as Hilary, Micheal Ward as Stephen, Colin Firth as Mr. Ellis, and Toby Jones as Norman.
Written and Directed by Sam Mendes.
Available on Digital HD February 7th and on Blu-ray™ and DVD February 21st
