Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes celebrates cinema and the families we choose and that choose us with his new film 'Empire of Light', a star-studded drama he wrote, directed and produced.

A love story set in an English seaside town in the early 1980s, 'Empire of Light'&nbsp;stars Olivia Colman, Colin Firth and Toby Jones as workers in a local movie theatre, the 'Empire'.

With the country in recession, Colman's character Hilary recovering from an episode of mental illness, and racial tensions building outside the doors of the Empire, the new decade has got off to an uncertain start for the staff.

The arrival of Stephen, an upbeat young Black ticket collector played by Micheal Ward, injects new life into the cinema. Stephen instantly bonds with Hilary, a lonely middle-aged woman, and their budding relationship helps both find solace and inspiration.

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Mendes, who won the best director Oscar for 1999's 'American Beauty'&nbsp;and co-wrote the Oscar-nominated 2019 film '1917'&nbsp;makes his solo screenplay debut with 'Empire of Light,'&nbsp;which he wrote during the COVID-19 pandemic. Much of it reflected on growing up and his mother, he said.

"It was very personal, it really was stimulated by memories from my childhood of growing up around someone who was mentally falling apart and yet somehow heroically was also bringing me up at the same time. So it is a love letter to her and to the courage of people struggling with mental illness," the director, 57, told Reuters at the movie's London Film Festival premiere on Wednesday.

"And at the same time it's also set in and around the cinema that's seen better days, written during a time when we were worried that all those things were going and we'd never see them again," he said.

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Mendes wrote the role of Hilary for Colman and asked Ward for input on his character.

"It's rare that you get to see an older woman with a younger man, especially an older white woman but younger Black man. So for me to tell that story was just super important and working with Olivia made that a lot more easier," said Ward.

'Empire of Light' will&nbsp;release in U.S. cinemas on Dec. 9 and globally in early 2023.

Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes celebrates cinema and the families we choose and that choose us with his new film 'Empire of Light', a star-studded drama he wrote, directed and produced.

Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes celebrates cinema and the families we choose and that choose us with his new film 'Empire of Light', a star-studded drama he wrote, directed and produced. A love story set in an English seaside town in the early 1980s, 'Empire of Light' stars Olivia Colman, Colin Firth and Toby Jones as workers in a local movie theatre, the 'Empire'. With the country in recession, Colman's character Hilary recovering from an episode of mental illness, and racial tensions building outside the doors of the Empire, the new decade has got off to an uncertain start for the staff. The arrival of Stephen, an upbeat young Black ticket collector played by Micheal Ward, injects new life into the cinema. Stephen instantly bonds with Hilary, a lonely middle-aged woman, and their budding relationship helps both find solace and inspiration. Jamie Lee Curtis signs document assuring not to appear in another 'Halloween' movie Mendes, who won the best director Oscar for 1999's 'American Beauty' and co-wrote the Oscar-nominated 2019 film '1917' makes his solo screenplay debut with 'Empire of Light,' which he wrote during the COVID-19 pandemic. Much of it reflected on growing up and his mother, he said. "It was very personal, it really was stimulated by memories from my childhood of growing up around someone who was mentally falling apart and yet somehow heroically was also bringing me up at the same time. So it is a love letter to her and to the courage of people struggling with mental illness," the director, 57, told Reuters at the movie's London Film Festival premiere on Wednesday. "And at the same time it's also set in and around the cinema that's seen better days, written during a time when we were worried that all those things were going and we'd never see them again," he said. When Alan Rickman channeled Snape and told Tom Felton: 'Don't step on my f***ing cloak' Mendes wrote the role of Hilary for Colman and asked Ward for input on his character. "It's rare that you get to see an older woman with a younger man, especially an older white woman but younger Black man. So for me to tell that story was just super important and working with Olivia made that a lot more easier," said Ward. 'Empire of Light' will release in U.S. cinemas on Dec. 9 and globally in early 2023.

Sam Mendes' 'Empire of Light' a love letter to movies and his mother

British actor Laurence Fox has lashed out at director Sam Mendes over his inclusion of a Sikh soldier in his Oscar-nominated film '1917'.&nbsp; 
 
Calling his casting distracting, Fox said that inclusion of actor Nabhaan Rizwaan as a Sikh soldier was not appropriate to the film's surrounding. The actor said 'forcing diversity on people' is 'institutionally racist'.&nbsp; 
 
Fox got embroiled in a row over 'white privilege' on writer James Delingpole's podcast where he stated that the Sikh character distracted from what the story was about. Read the review of '1917' here.&nbsp; 
 
The Sikhs, though, did fight in the first world war alongside the British forces but in their own regiments and not the British ones as depicted in Mendes' film.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/1917-review-sam-mendes-film-is-haunting-heartbreaking-yet-the-most-compelling-piece-of-art-274832">Read our review of the film here.&nbsp;</a> 
 
'1917' has received a whopping 10 nominations at the upcoming Oscars and is one of the frontrunners for the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/oscars-2020-best-film-nominee-273954">best picture </a>Oscar. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/this-is-why-we-think-sam-mendes-1917-is-front-runner-for-oscars-best-film-275491">Why we think the film stands a chance to win at Oscars</a> 
 
Fox further said, "It's like, "There were Sikhs fighting in this war" . . . OK, you're now diverting me away from what the story is. There is something institutionally racist about forcing diversity on people in that way.'&nbsp; 
 
The actor said the inclusion also made him question the credibility of the storyline and said the casting of Rizwaan caused 'very heightened awareness of the colour of someone's skin' because of 'the oddness of the casting'.&nbsp; 
 
While he criticised his casting, but Fox praised Rizwan's performance.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/oscar-nominated-film-1917-has-been-backed-by-indias-reliance-entertainment-274189">Oscar nominated film '1917' has been backed by India's Reliance Entertainment</a> 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/oscars-2020-predictions-will-sam-mendes-1917-become-first-war-film-after-hurt-locker-to-win-best-picture-273769">Will Sam Mendes' '1917' become first war film after 'Hurt Locker' to win Best Picture?</a> 
 
&nbsp;

British actor Laurence Fox has lashed out at director Sam Mendes over his inclusion of a Sikh soldier in his Oscar-nominated film '1917'. Calling his casting distracting, Fox said that inclusion of actor Nabhaan Rizwaan as a Sikh soldier was not appropriate to the film's surrounding.

British actor Laurence Fox has lashed out at director Sam Mendes over his inclusion of a Sikh soldier in his Oscar-nominated film '1917'. Calling his casting distracting, Fox said that inclusion of actor Nabhaan Rizwaan as a Sikh soldier was not appropriate to the film's surrounding. The actor said 'forcing diversity on people' is 'institutionally racist'. Fox got embroiled in a row over 'white privilege' on writer James Delingpole's podcast where he stated that the Sikh character distracted from what the story was about. Read the review of '1917' here. The Sikhs, though, did fight in the first world war alongside the British forces but in their own regiments and not the British ones as depicted in Mendes' film. Read our review of the film here. '1917' has received a whopping 10 nominations at the upcoming Oscars and is one of the frontrunners for the best picture Oscar. Why we think the film stands a chance to win at Oscars Fox further said, "It's like, "There were Sikhs fighting in this war" . . . OK, you're now diverting me away from what the story is. There is something institutionally racist about forcing diversity on people in that way.' The actor said the inclusion also made him question the credibility of the storyline and said the casting of Rizwaan caused 'very heightened awareness of the colour of someone's skin' because of 'the oddness of the casting'. While he criticised his casting, but Fox praised Rizwan's performance. Also read: Oscar nominated film '1917' has been backed by India's Reliance Entertainment Will Sam Mendes' '1917' become first war film after 'Hurt Locker' to win Best Picture?

Sam Mendes called out for 'forcing diversity' in his Oscar nominated film '1917'

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Sam Mendes' 'Empire of Light' a love letter to movies and his mother

Sam Mendes called out for 'forcing diversity' in his Oscar nominated film '1917'