Grein, Paul (16 November 2022). "Rihanna's 'Wakanda Forever' Song, Terence Blanchard Win at 2022 Hollywood Music in Media Awards: Full List". Billboard . Retrieved 16 November 2022. Anderson, Erik (18 February 2023). "2022 Houston Film Critics Society (HFCS) winners". AwardsWatch . Retrieved 18 February 2023.

Empire of Light is an original film written and directed by Sam Mendes. Set in the early 1980’s in and around an old cinema on the South Coast of England, Empire of Light stars Olivia Colman, Micheal Ward, Colin Firth, Toby Jones, Tom Brooke, Hannah Onslow, Tanya Moodie and Crystal Clarke. 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. If you need another movie to add to your DVD collection, look no further than Empire of Light. It heads to DVD and Blu-ray this month. It's a beautiful tribute to the magic of cinema that cinephiles will enjoy, but for viewers less passionate about the 7th art, it might be difficult to genuinely care."Jones, Ian (13 March 2023). "UK has modest success at 2023 Oscars with four wins". The Independent . Retrieved 13 March 2023. Empire of Light was a Limited release in 2022 on Friday, December 9, 2022. There were 20 other movies released on the same date, including The Whale, Detective Knight: Redemption and Father Stu: Reborn. Empire of Light is a sweet, heartfelt, humane movie, which doesn’t shy away from the brutality and the racism that was happening in the streets outside the cinema: the Empire is showing Stir Crazy starring Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder, directed by Sidney Poitier – a message of diversity, if 1981 Britain cared to listen. It’s clearly a labour of love for Sam Mendes: love requited.

Lang, Brent; Moreau, Jordan (10 January 2023). " 'The Fabelmans', 'The Banshees of Inisherin' Win Big at Revamped Golden Globes (Complete Winners List)". Variety . Retrieved 11 January 2023. From Academy Award®-winning director and writer Sam Mendes, EMPIRE OF LIGHT is an intimate and moving story about love, friendship, and connection, set in a coastal town in Southern England against the social turmoil of the early 1980s. Hilary (Olivia Colman), a woman with a difficult past and an uneasy present, is part of a makeshift family at the old Empire Cinema on the seafront. When Stephen (Micheal Ward) is hired to work in the cinema, the two find an unlikely attraction and discover the healing power of movies, music and community. Sam Mendes is no stranger to meaningful and heartfelt storytelling. Empire of Light is another example of that. Set in an English coastal town in the 1980s, the story is all about love, friendship, and compassion. Everything is set around a fading cinema, a place where people have come for all sorts of needs throughout the years.Sure it looks pretty, I mean it’s Deakins, but it’s tonally lost in a sea of half baked characters and ideas. Colman is good, Micheal Ward is great, but Empire of Light struggles to find its voice resulting in the most aggressively okay movie of the year. The film includes several pieces of music that are being played on a record player in the film, such as Bob Dylan's " It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)", Cat Stevens's " Morning Has Broken" and Joni Mitchell's " You Turn Me On, I'm a Radio". [14] Release [ edit ] EMPIRE OF LIGHT is Sam Mendes’ personal & loving ode to how cinema connects us all despite how different we all are. When you enter that theatre and the lights go down, all your troubles can be left at the door and you’re free to escape. At times, this movie achieves that very goal. The screenplay is a little all over the place and there are many important aspects I wish were delved into a little deeper. Still, Olivia Colman is extraordinary in what is another career highlight, and her chemistry with Micheal Ward is warm & tender. Vibrant cinematography & a gorgeously serene score that will fill your heart & give you goosebumps. Filming began on 7 February 2022 at Margate on the Isle of Thanet in Kent. [10] [11] [12] The Dreamland Margate Cinema building was remodelled and renamed until 15 May 2022. [13]