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 7 and Blu-ray and DVD on February 21, 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.
*Best Cinematography, 2023
Film 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. Both Hilary and Stephen find a sense of belonging through their unlikely and tender relationship and come to experience the healing power of music, cinema, and community.
Bonus Features*
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
Cast
Olivia Colman as Hilary
Micheal Ward as Stephen
Colin Firth as Mr. Ellis
Toby Jones as Norman
Directed by
Sam Mendes
Produced by
Pippa Harris
Sam Mendes
Executive Produced by
Michael Lerman
Julie Pastor
Written by
Sam Mendes
Music by
Atticus Ross, Trent Reznor
Product Specifications
Street Date
Digital: February 7, 2023
Physical: February 21, 2023
Product SKUs
Digital: UHD, HD, SD
Physical:Blu-ray Combo Pack (Blu-ray + Digital Code) & DVD
Feature Run Time
115 minutes
Rating
U.S. Rated R
**For sexual content, language and brief violence. Bonus material not rated.
Aspect Ratio
Digital: 2.39:1
Physical: 2.39:1
U.S. Audio
Blu-ray: English 5.1 DTS-HDMA, English AD 2.0 Dolby Digital
DVD: English 5.1 Dolby, English AD 2.0 Dolby
Digital: Dolby Atmos, 5.1 & 2.0 Dolby Digital, English Descriptive Audio 2.0 Dolby Digital (some platforms), Spanish 5.1 & 2.0 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 & 2.0 Dolby Digital
U.S. Subtitles
Blu-ray: English SDH, Spanish, French
DVD: English SDH, Spanish, French
Digital: English SDH, French, Spanish (some platforms)
