Empire of Light (2022)

[Pieter V]

Empire of Light (2022) Blu-ray

[Majin Blu]

I'm really looking forward to this movie. I love Olivia Colman. It's a real shame if there's no UHD, but it's better than not being released at all.

[Jennifer Lawrence Fan]

Surprised this is getting a BD release at all. Seeing what is happening with Barbarian and See How They Run.

[Pieter V]

[Monterey Jack]

Originally Posted by Jennifer Lawrence Fan

Surprised this is getting a BD release at all. Seeing what is happening with Barbarian and See How They Run.

Mendes probably pushed for it.

[jeangreyforever]

I enjoyed this movie and will probably purchase it. Olivia Colman never disappoints, especially when in a leading role.

[Pieter V]

Searchlight Pictures and Disney have officially announced and detailed their home entertainment releases of the Sam Mendes film ‘Empire of Light’. The film will arrive home early on Digital February 7, followed by the Blu-ray and DVD releases on February 21, 2023. Continue below to check out the full announcement for the releases including bonus content information, disc specs and more, plus artwork for both physical releases.

“A CAREER-BEST PERFORMANCE FROM OLIVIA COLMAN”

– Clayton Davis, Variety

Searchlight Pictures’ and Sam Mendes’ moving drama Empire of Light Arrives on Digital February 7 and Blu-ray™ and DVD February 21 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)
Social Media

Twitter: @searchlightpics

Facebook: @searchlightpics

Instagram: @searchlightpics

#EmpireofLight

[HipsterTrash]

Damn. Would have loved a Mendes commentary to talk about this one. Seemed like a passion project for him.

[Pieter V]

Special features:

-Creating Empire of Light (18 minutes)

[Pi905]

Pre-ordered

[LordoftheRings]

Subscribed

[James Luckard]

Originally Posted by HipsterTrash

Damn. Would have loved a Mendes commentary to talk about this one. Seemed like a passion project for him.

Very few discs get commentaries anymore, it feels like filmmakers have lost interest in them and studios have lost interest in paying for a recording studio and such to record them.

[ewsjr]

I read it is supposed to start streaming on HBOMAX this month sometime. Love Deakins and look forward to watching and, hopefully, liking it enough to buy.

[RandomMovieFan]

Originally Posted by ewsjr

I read it is supposed to start streaming on HBOMAX this month sometime. Love Deakins and look forward to watching and, hopefully, liking it enough to buy.

It will be on HBO max on February 7th

[crutzulee]

This looked drop dead gorgeous streaming in 4K DV on my setup. I'll have to think twice about picking up the plain old Bluray... The shadow detail here was off the charts -JVC rules!

I don't care what anyone else thinks, I loved this and will hold out hope for a UHD..

[Pieter V]

Blu-ray.com review

[TwinCitiesBluFan]

Originally Posted by RandomMovieFan

It will be on HBO max on February 7th

I started watching it today and it's so good! Had to pause for a bit, but looking forward to finishing it tonight. Both Colman and Ward are excellently cast!

[rdodolak]

                                                                                                                Total   Video                                             
Title                                                           Codec   Length  Movie Size      Disc Size       Bitrate Bitrate Main Audio Track                          Secondary Audio Track
-----                                                           ------  ------- --------------  --------------  ------- ------- ------------------                        ---------------------
00800.MPLS                                                      AVC     1:54:47 34,578,388,992  41,126,512,131  40.16   34.64   DTS-HD Master 5.1 3091Kbps (48kHz/24-bit)

DISC INFO:

Disc Title:     Empire of Light - Blu-ray™
Disc Label:     EMPIRE_OF_LIGHT
Disc Size:      41,126,512,131 bytes
Protection:     AACS
Extras:         BD-Java
BDInfo:         0.7.5.8

PLAYLIST REPORT:

Name:                   00800.MPLS
Length:                 1:54:47.380 (h:m:s.ms)
Size:                   34,578,388,992 bytes
Total Bitrate:          40.16 Mbps

VIDEO:

Codec                   Bitrate             Description     
-----                   -------             -----------     
MPEG-4 AVC Video        34639 kbps          1080p / 23.976 fps / 16:9 / High Profile 4.1

AUDIO:

Codec                           Language        Bitrate         Description     
-----                           --------        -------         -----------     
DTS-HD Master Audio             English         3091 kbps       5.1 / 48 kHz /  3091 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz /  1509 kbps / 24-bit / DN -4dB)
Dolby Digital Audio             English         320 kbps        2.0 / 48 kHz /   320 kbps / DN -30dB

SUBTITLES:

Codec                           Language        Bitrate         Description     
-----                           --------        -------         -----------     
Presentation Graphics           English         36.372 kbps                     
Presentation Graphics           French          26.264 kbps                     
Presentation Graphics           Spanish         25.183 kbps                     

FILES:

Name            Time In         Length          Size            Total Bitrate   
----            -------         ------          ----            -------------   
00705.M2TS      0:00:00.000     1:54:47.380     34,578,388,992  40,164          

CHAPTERS:

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STREAM DIAGNOSTICS:

File            PID             Type            Codec           Language                Seconds                 Bitrate                 Bytes           Packets         
----            ---             ----            -----           --------                --------------          --------------          -------------   -----           
00705.M2TS      4113 (0x1011)   0x1B            AVC                                     6887.214                34,640                  29,821,359,706  162,168,505     
00705.M2TS      4352 (0x1100)   0x86            DTS-HD MA       eng (English)           6887.214                3,091                   2,661,225,668   15,536,003      
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00705.M2TS      4610 (0x1202)   0x90            PGS             spa (Spanish)           6887.214                25                      21,680,912      125,754

[cgpublic]

As I noted in the movie thread, given the negativity, or at the very least, muted reaction, there were somewhat low expectations in the room when we screened the Blu-ray, which by way is one of the best technical releases for the format of a 2022 film in spite of the lack of supplements. It's simply a wonderful looking, and sounding, disc.

As far as the film itself, Empire of Light is an understated film reflecting classical British cinematic style which tells a simple story simply. While I do agree the proceedings could have benefited with greater clarity at times, the result is a very good film in place of a great one.

[Resettito]

Yeah, it's strange how it went unnoticed basically.

It's lovely and very tender, very elegantly shot as expected, though Deakins not giving this the 35mm treatment is a bit heretical I gotta say, especially with the subject matter.