The consensus feeling was that Sam Mendes’ “Empire of Light” was on a tight schedule and that a 2023 release was more likely. Not anymore.
A person close to the production is saying a November 2022 release date is a done deal. What?! Are you kidding me?! Are we seriously adding another awards contender to an already packed-to-the-rafters fall schedule? Sure looks like it.
Of course, with Mendes you just never know what you’re going to get. The British filmmaker does tend to hit the mark with critics more so than not (“American Beauty,” “Skyfall,” “Road to Perdition,” “1917”). He’s also had his fair share of duds (“Spectre,” “Jarhead,” “Away We Go”).
Something tells me “Empire of Light” will belong in the former category. Starring Olivia Colman and Colin Firth, the film is said to be a love story set in an English coastal cinema during the 1980s.
A BFI premiere looks likely with that release date.