Sam Mendes’ Next Film to Star Olivia Colman

Sam Mendes has taken his time choosing his next project since 1917 landed 10 Oscar nominations and 3 wins, with many at the time having projected it to be the Best Picture winner over Parasite.

Deadline is reporting that he’s finally locked in his next feature, a love story set around an old cinema on the South Coast of England in the 1980s, titled Empire of Light. No plot details are currently known for the film, which is sure to be a hotly anticipated property. 

Mendes wrote the script himself, and he’s got a major name in negotiations to star in the film: Oscar winner and 2-time nominee Olivia Colman. 

The new film will also see the director reuniting with cinematographer Roger Deakins, who will also be making his return to the big screen, having not shot any films since their last collaboration on 1917. Deakins won an Oscar for that film, his second after his first win for Blade Runner 2049. 

Searchlight Pictures will be producing and distributing the film, which will make Mendes’ first time working with the studio.