Searchlight Pictures has dropped a new trailer for Sam Mendes’s love letter to the cinema “Empire of Light.”
The film is a love story set in a theater on the coast in the 1980s, the film explores the very human connections and hardships of the employees in the Empire with the relationship between Hilary (Olivia Colman) and newcomer Stephen (Michael Ward) at the center of it. The new footage highlights those connections amidst a backdrop of social issues and the magic of film. The rest of the glowing ensemble is made up of Tom Brooke, Hannah Onslow, Toby Jones, Crystal Clarke, and Tanya Moodie.
For the Oscar-winning Mendes, the film marks his first stab at the sole scriptwriter for a project and his first feature since 1917 in 2019. He’s no stranger to capturing movie magic, grabbing a few Academy Award nominations and three BAFTA wins for his WWII biopic with his lone Academy Award win coming from American Beauty.
“Empire of Light” could be a strong contender for awards season this year, not only because they assembled a great cast but also because it features Collaboration with three two-time Academy Award winners: Roger Deakins, as well as musicians like Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, who wrote the film’s score.
Mendes first showed off his period-piece love story at the Telluride Film Festival back in September, where it earned praises and the film was also making appearances at the Toronto International Film Festival, BFI London.
“Empire of Light” hits theaters on December 9.
