Helmed by George Miller (blockbuster director of countless iconic films such as Babe, Pig in The City, Happy Feet, and the mind-blowing franchise films Mad Max: The Road Warrior & Mad Max: Fury Road) Three Thousand Years of Longing is adapted from the highly beloved short story The Djinn in the Nightingale’s Eye by A.S. Byatt.
Starring Tilda Swinton and Idris Elba, 3000 Years of Longing whisks the audience away on a mystical and epic adventure. The magical tale begins where Dr. Alithea Binnie (Swinton) travels to Istanbul to present at a conference. While looking for a souvenir, she finds herself strangely drawn to a file of trinkets and accidentally found a beautiful memento… unaware that this relic will change her life forever.
A mythical Djinn (Elba) reveals that he has been trapped in the relic, and offers Dr. Binne three wishes in exchange for his freedom. As a solitary academic and creature of reason, Dr. Binnie doubts if he is real and reminds the Djinn of numerous cautionary tales of wishes gone wrong. Desperate for his freedom, Djinn pleads his case to the skeptical Dr. Binnie, who ultimately makes a wish that neither could have expected.
Moviegoers can expect a dazzling spectacle and adventure of a lifetime in the must-see film of 2022. Hailed as a “visual feast” at this year’s Cannes international film festival, and earned a standing ovation that lasted 6 minutes, 3000 Years of Longinghas garnered rave reactions across the globe. Slashfilm.com proclaims: “this movie reaffirms George Miller as one of the great magicians of cinema working today.” Awards Daily’s calls this film: “a mythical extravaganza that packs an unexpected humanistic punch.” And IGN.com describes how: “Miller revitalizes the Arabian Nights with a technological twist… while Tilda Swinton and Idris Elba give it their all.”
Both lead actors are eager for audiences to finally see the movie on the big screen, with all its unprecedented spectacle and engaging narrative.
“I think the biggest challenge was always [being] conscious that the audience has seen some version of this character, albeit a cartoon version or some comical version,” Idris said in an interview with Yahoo News. “I was really conscious for this character to be believable and relatable and interesting to watch. It’s got to be less than that [comical style] and something unique.”
Swinton likewise shared her thoughts, “We were actually talking about this film for several years before we started shooting. The more time went by, the more relevant I thought this film was going to be,” she said. “People know more about being locked in a bottle for three thousand years than they might have three years ago,” she said. “They also know what it’s like to be locked down in your own homes.”
From Go Asia Entertainment, 3000 Years of Longing will open in cinemas nationwide on September 14.