Sam Mendes breaks down the magic of cinema in the teaser for Empire Of Light
The director's 1917 follow-up stars Olivia Colman, Micheal Ward, and Colin Firth
Sam Mendes’ next film intertwines history, humanity, romance, and cinema in a spellbinding teaser for the forthcoming Empire Of Light. The film opens at the Toronto International Film Festival in September before arriving in theaters this winter.
“Film: It’s just static frames with darkness in between,” Toby Jones narrates in the teaser. “But there’s a little flaw in your optic nerve. So if I run the film at 24 frames per second, it creates an illusion of motion, an illusion of life. So you don’t see the darkness. Out there, they just see a beam of light. And nothing happens without light.”
Set in the English seaside in the ‘80s, Empire Of Light follows two people, Hilary and Stephen, as they enter a taboo relationship while working together in the local theater. Hilary, played by Oscar-winner Olivia Colman, seeks escapism from a troubled past. Meanwhile, Stephen, played by Michael Ward, is constantly confronted with the racism which plagues the small town. Together, they find solace in one another and in film and quietly begin a touching romance.
With this meta synopsis, this means you’ll be in a movie theater watching two people fall in love in a movie theater. Heck, maybe you’ll even fall in love—with cinema or with someone else.
Empire Of Light also stars Tom Brooke, Tanya Moodie, Hannah Onslow, Crystal Clarke, and Colin Firth, who previously appeared in Mendes’ Oscar-nominated film 1917. The American Beauty director makes his solo screenwriting debut with Empire Of Light, with the legendary Roger Deakins overseeing the cinematography for Mendes once more.
Colman recently appeared in Maggie Gyllenhaal’s The Lost Daughter, earning her an Oscar nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role. As a BAFTA winner, Ward led Steve McQueen’s Small Axe episode “Lovers Rock.”
Empire Of Light premieres in theaters on December 9.