Three Thousand Years of Longing

Last updated

Three Thousand Years of Longing
Three Thousand Years of Longing.jpeg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by George Miller
Screenplay by
  • George Miller
  • Augusta Gore [1]
Based on"The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye"
by A. S. Byatt
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography John Seale
Edited by Margaret Sixel
Music by Tom Holkenborg [2]
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release dates
  • May 20, 2022 (2022-05-20)(Cannes)
  • August 26, 2022 (2022-08-26)(United States)
  • September 1, 2022 (2022-09-01)(Australia)
Running time
108 minutes [3]
Countries
  • United States
  • Australia
LanguageEnglish
Budget$60 million [4] [5]
Box office$20.3 million [6]

Three Thousand Years of Longing is a 2022 fantasy romantic drama film directed and produced by George Miller. Written by Miller and Augusta Gore, it is based on the 1994 short story "The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye" by A. S. Byatt and follows a djinn (Idris Elba) who is unleashed from a bottle by a professor (Tilda Swinton) and tells her stories from his thousands of years of existence. The film is dedicated to Miller's mother Angela, as well as Rena Mitchell, relative of producer Doug Mitchell.

Contents

The film premiered out of competition at the 75th Cannes Film Festival on May 20, 2022. It was released theatrically in the United States on August 26, 2022, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (via United Artists Releasing), and in Australia on September 1, 2022, by Roadshow Entertainment. It received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised its visuals and performances, but was a box-office bomb, grossing $20.3 million against a budget of $60 million.

Plot

Alithea Binnie is a British narratology scholar who occasionally hallucinates demonic beings. During a trip to Istanbul, Alithea purchases an antique bottle and unleashes the Djinn trapped within it. The Djinn offers to grant Alithea three wishes, as long as each one is truly her heart's desire, with the following exceptions: no wishing for more wishes, no wishing for immortality, and no wishing for an end to sin or suffering. However, Alithea argues that wishing is a mistake, accusing the Djinn of being a trickster. She says that when she was a child, she created an imaginary friend in the form of a young boy and even imagined his whole life (which she wrote in a diary) but decided to forget about him, fearing to be overwhelmed by her own imagination. In response, the Djinn proceeds to tell her three tales of his past and how he ended up trapped in the bottle.

In the first story, the Queen of Sheba, the Djinn's kin and lover, is wooed by King Solomon, who jealously imprisons the Djinn in a brass bottle which is cast into the Red Sea by a bird. Twenty-five centuries later the now-encrusted bottle is brought up from the ocean floor by fishermen and eventually is used as a stone in a wall.

The second story centers on Gülten, a concubine in the palace of Suleiman the Magnificent. After finding the bottle, Gülten wishes for Suleiman's son, Mustafa, to fall in love with her and subsequently wishes to bear his child. Hürrem Sultan, a favored concubine of Suleiman, schemes to have her own son on the throne and convinces Suleiman that Mustafa is conspiring against him; this results in Mustafa's murder. Despite the Djinn's attempts to save her, the pregnant Gülten is also killed on Suleiman's orders before she can make her final wish.

With the third wish ungranted, the Djinn wanders the palace invisibly for over 100 years, his bottle concealed beneath a stone in an unused bathing room. He almost captures the attention of Murad IV, who goes to war and becomes a ruthless ruler, later dying from alcoholism. His brother Ibrahim becomes the new sultan and develops a fetish for overweight concubines. His favorite among them, Sugar Lump, after finding the bathing room while wandering through the palace, discovers the bottle when she slips and falls on the stone, breaking it. The Djinn appears to her and desperately begs her to make the third wish. Thinking he is a trickster, Sugar Lump wishes for the Djinn to be re-imprisoned in his bottle at the bottom of the Bosporus.

In the final story, Zefir, the young wife of a Turkish merchant, is given the bottle after it is recovered in the mid-19th century from the belly of a gutted fish. Zefir wishes first for all-reaching knowledge, which the Djinn grants in the form of books, and later to perceive the world as djinns do. Despite the Djinn's growing love for Zefir and the fact she is now pregnant with his child, she feels increasingly trapped by his unwillingness to let her make a third wish, which would end their bond. To placate her, the Djinn offers to imprison himself in a new glass bottle whenever she wishes. However, during one such time, Zefir wishes to forget she had ever met the Djinn, leaving him imprisoned and unknown once again.

Alithea is moved by the story and realizes that she has fallen in love with the Djinn. For her first wish she asks for him to love her the way he had loved Zefir. They spend the night making love, and in the morning, the Djinn accompanies Alithea back to London. They settle into a routine where he either accompanies her as she works, or explores the new modern world, learning all of the new technological discoveries.

One day, Alithea discovers that the Djinn is becoming weaker due to the effects that the city's cell tower and satellite transmissions, which have been interacting with his electromagnetic physiology. Finding him turning to dust and comatose, she uses her second wish to get the severely ill Djinn to speak to her, and apologizes for using her wish to deny them the chance to fall in love naturally. She uses her third and final wish to free the Djinn to return to "The Realm of Djinn" where he belongs, as she realizes he does not belong in the world of humans.

Three years later, Alithea has written a book containing all the stories that the Djinn told her, like she once did with her childhood imaginary friend, and sees the now-healthy Djinn approaching her from across the park. Holding hands, they continue through the park and Alithea's narration reveals that he promises to return throughout her lifetime.

Cast

Idris Elba-4580 (cropped).jpg
Viennale 2018 Suspiria 15 Tilda Swinton (cropped).jpg
The film stars Idris Elba and Tilda Swinton.

Production

Director, co-writer and co-producer George Miller. George Miller (35706244922).jpg
Director, co-writer and co-producer George Miller.

It was announced in October 2018 that George Miller had set his next directorial effort, described as "epic in scope" and expected to begin filming in 2019. [8] Idris Elba and Tilda Swinton were announced as cast members the same month. [9] The film is based on A. S. Byatt's short story "The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye." [10]

In a July 2019 interview, Miller said that pre-production would begin in late 2019, and that filming would begin on March 2, 2020, between Australia, Turkey and the United Kingdom. [11] [12] [13] Filming was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic [14] and began in November 2020 in Australia. [15]

Release

In May 2020, MGM (via United Artists Releasing) acquired the film's North American distribution rights, with Metropolitan Filmexport and Sunac Culture handling distribution in France and China respectively. [16] [17] Roadshow Entertainment handled the Australian distribution, [18] while Entertainment Film Distributors handled distribution in the United Kingdom. [19]

The film premiered out of competition at the 75th Cannes Film Festival on May 20, 2022, where it received a six-minute standing ovation. [17] [20] An activist protesting sexual violence perpetrated by Russian soldiers in Ukraine appeared at the premiere and stripped nude while screaming before being removed by Cannes security. [21] The film's first trailer was also released that day. [22]

The film's scheduled release date of August 31, 2022, in the United States, was moved up to August 26. [23] It was released in Australia on September 1, 2022.

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment released the film for VOD on November 1, 2022, followed by a Blu-ray, DVD and 4K UHD release on November 15, 2022. [24]

Reception

Box office

Three Thousand Years of Longing grossed $8.3 million in the United States and Canada, [25] and $12 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $20.3 million, [6] against a production budget of $60 million. [4] [5]

In the United States and Canada, it was released alongside The Invitation and Breaking . [5] It made $1.4 million on its first day [26] and went on to debut with $2.9 million from 2,436 theaters on its opening weekend. [27] Variety called it "a terrible result for a movie that's playing in thousands of theaters across the country", and noted that it would be one of the biggest box office bombs of 2022, with industry experts blaming lack of marketing and the wide-release strategy. [28] TheWrap , while acknowledging its box office underperformance, noted the film could still turn a profit for MGM after it went to streaming, as the company spent only $6 million on domestic distribution rights. [29] In its second weekend, the film made $1.5 million (and a total of $1.9 million over the four-day Labor Day frame), dropping 47.1% and finishing 13th. [30]

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 71% of 260 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.5/10.The website's consensus reads: "Although its story isn't as impressive as its visual marvels, it's hard not to admire Three Thousand Years of Longing's sheer ambition." [31] Metacritic , which uses a weighted average , assigned the film a score of 60 out of 100, based on 52 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews. [32]

Peter Debruge of Variety said: "These days, audiences are so savvy about the tricks at a filmmaker's disposal that the movie's greatest achievement is that it seizes our imagination (or perhaps that's our attention deficit disorder being so brusquely manhandled) and holds it for the better part of two hours, defying us to anticipate what comes next." [33]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Miller (filmmaker)</span> Australian filmmaker (born 1945)

George Miller is an Australian filmmaker. Over the course of four decades he has received critical and popular success creating the Mad Max franchise starting in 1979 with two of the films having been hailed as two of the greatest action films of all time. He has also earned numerous accolades including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and a Golden Globe Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tilda Swinton</span> British actress

Katherine Matilda Swinton is a British actress. She is known for playing eccentric and enigmatic characters, often working with auteur directors. She has received various accolades, including an Academy Award and a British Academy Film Award as well as nominations for three Golden Globe Awards. In 2020, The New York Times ranked her as one of the greatest actors of the 21st century.

<i>Young Adam</i> (film) 2003 British film

Young Adam is a 2003 British erotic drama film written and directed by David Mackenzie and starring Ewan McGregor, Tilda Swinton, Peter Mullan, Ewan Stewart and Emily Mortimer. The film is based on the 1954 novel of the same name by Alexander Trocchi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Idris Elba</span> English actor (born 1972)

Idrissa Akuna Elba is an English actor, rapper, singer, DJ and kick-boxer. He has received a Golden Globe Award as well as nominations for three BAFTA Awards and six Emmy Awards. He was named in the Time 100 list of the Most Influential People in the World in 2016. His films have grossed over $9.8 billion at the global box office, making him one of the top 20 highest-grossing actors.

Possible Worlds is a 2000 Canadian film adaptation of the 1990 play of the same name by John Mighton. The film is directed by Robert Lepage, and stars Tom McCamus and Tilda Swinton. The film's musical score is by George Koller.

<i>Julia</i> (2008 film) 2008 French film

Julia is a 2008 international co-produced crime drama film, directed by Erick Zonca and starring Tilda Swinton. It was shot in California and Mexico. The film was inspired by the John Cassavetes film Gloria. For her performance, Swinton earned a nomination for César Award for Best Actress.

<i>We Need to Talk About Kevin</i> (film) 2011 film by Lynne Ramsay

We Need to Talk About Kevin is a 2011 psychological thriller drama film directed by Lynne Ramsay from a screenplay she co-wrote with Rory Stewart Kinnear, based on the 2003 novel of the same name by Lionel Shriver. A long process of development and financing began in 2005, with filming commencing in April 2010.

<i>Luther</i> (TV series) British crime drama television series

Luther is a British psychological crime thriller television series starring Idris Elba as DCI John Luther and Ruth Wilson as Alice Morgan, written by Neil Cross. The detective Luther must make cases against criminals while the murderer Morgan has a complicated relationship with him. The first series is composed of six episodes which ran in May and June 2010. A second series of four episodes aired on BBC One in June and July 2011, and a third was commissioned in 2012 composed of four episodes which aired in July 2013. A two-episode fourth series was broadcast in December 2015, and a fifth series of four episodes premiered on 1 January 2019. BBC Studios handled distribution for the TV series.

<i>Only Lovers Left Alive</i> 2013 film by Jim Jarmusch

Only Lovers Left Alive is a 2013 gothic fantasy comedy-drama film written and directed by Jim Jarmusch, starring Tilda Swinton, Tom Hiddleston, Mia Wasikowska, Anton Yelchin, Jeffrey Wright, Slimane Dazi and John Hurt. An international co-production between the United Kingdom and Germany, the film focuses on the romance between two vampires and was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival.

<i>A Bigger Splash</i> (2015 film) 2015 film

A Bigger Splash is a 2015 psychological drama film directed by Luca Guadagnino and with a screenplay by David Kajganich from a story by Alain Page. Starring Tilda Swinton, Matthias Schoenaerts, Ralph Fiennes, and Dakota Johnson, the film is loosely based on Jacques Deray's 1969 film La Piscine and named after the 1967 David Hockney painting.

<i>Okja</i> 2017 film by Bong Joon-ho

Okja is a 2017 science-fantasy action-adventure film directed by Bong Joon-ho with a screenplay by Bong and Jon Ronson from a story by Bong. The film is about a young girl who raised a genetically modified "super pig", and, after she is taken to the United States, goes on a mission to rescue her from mistreatment at the hands of the meat industry. An international co-production of South Korea and the United States, it stars an ensemble cast headed by child actor Ahn Seo-hyun, along with Byun Hee-bong, Yoon Je-moon, Choi Woo-shik, Tilda Swinton, Paul Dano, Steven Yeun, Lily Collins, Shirley Henderson, Daniel Henshall, Devon Bostick, Giancarlo Esposito, and Jake Gyllenhaal.

The 36th London Film Critics' Circle Awards, honouring the best in film for 2015, were announced by the London Film Critics' Circle on 17 January 2016.

<i>The Dead Dont Die</i> (2019 film) 2019 American absurdist horror comedy film

The Dead Don't Die is a 2019 American absurdist zombie comedy film written and directed by Jim Jarmusch. It features an ensemble cast including Bill Murray, Adam Driver, Chloë Sevigny, Steve Buscemi, Tilda Swinton, Tom Waits, Danny Glover, Caleb Landry Jones, Rosie Perez, Iggy Pop, Carol Kane, RZA, Austin Butler, and Selena Gomez and follows a small town's police force as they combat a sudden zombie invasion.

<i>The Djinn in the Nightingales Eye</i> Short story collection by A. S. Byatt

The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye is a 1994 collection of five mythical short stories by British novelist A. S. Byatt. The collection includes two short stories, "The Glass Coffin" and "Gode's Story," originally published in the novel Possession, as well as the titular story, "The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye", which was published in The Paris Review.

<i>The Souvenir Part II</i> 2021 film

The Souvenir Part II is a 2021 drama film, written and directed by Joanna Hogg. It is a sequel to The Souvenir (2019). It stars Honor Swinton Byrne, Jaygann Ayeh, Richard Ayoade, James Spencer Ashworth, Harris Dickinson, Charlie Heaton, Joe Alwyn, and Tilda Swinton.

<i>Memoria</i> (2021 film) 2021 film by Apichatpong Weerasethakul

Memoria is a 2021 fantasy drama mystery film written, directed and co-produced by Apichatpong Weerasethakul, starring Tilda Swinton, Elkin Díaz, Jeanne Balibar, Juan Pablo Urrego and Daniel Giménez Cacho.

<i>The Eternal Daughter</i> 2022 film by Joanna Hogg

The Eternal Daughter is a 2022 Gothic mystery drama film produced, written and directed by Joanna Hogg. It stars Tilda Swinton in a double role, as both a middle-aged filmmaker and her elderly mother who are guests at a mysterious hotel. Joseph Mydell and Carly-Sophia Davies are featured in supporting roles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sabrina Dhowre</span> Canadian model and media personality (born 1989)

Sabrina Dhowre Elba is a Canadian model, media personality, businesswoman and Goodwill ambassador of the United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development.

Alyla Browne is an Australian actress. She is best known for starring as the young Imperator Furiosa in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024). She has also played the title role in the television series The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart (2023).

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Utichi, Joe (May 17, 2022). "Inside George Miller's 20-Year Quest To Make 'Three Thousand Years Of Longing', As 'Furiosa' Revs Her Engines – Cannes". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on July 16, 2022. Retrieved May 17, 2022.
  2. ↑ "Mad Max: Fury Road Composer Tom Holkenborg (aka Junkie XL) on Reuniting With George Miller for Three Thousand Years of Longing". Below the Line. December 6, 2022. Archived from the original on January 2, 2023. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  3. ↑ "Three Thousand Years of Longing (15)". BBFC . August 27, 2022. Archived from the original on March 30, 2024. Retrieved August 27, 2022. Cinema 107m 53s
  4. 1 2 Endre, Dora (March 21, 2022). "Three Thousand Years of Longing: Everything We Know So Far". MovieWeb . Archived from the original on May 18, 2022. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
  5. 1 2 3 Rubin, Rebecca (August 24, 2022). "Box Office: Box Office: Three New Movies Slink Into Theaters, With Limited Expectations". Variety . Archived from the original on August 24, 2022. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
  6. 1 2 "Three Thousand Years of Longing (2022)". Box Office Mojo . IMDb . Retrieved October 13, 2022.
  7. ↑ "Sabrina Dhowre Elba". IMDb. Archived from the original on June 27, 2023. Retrieved May 12, 2023.
  8. ↑ Wiseman, Andreas (October 25, 2018). "AFM Hot Pic: George Miller To Direct Movie Epic 'Three Thousand Years Of Longing', FilmNation To Launch Sales". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 25, 2018. Retrieved October 25, 2018.
  9. ↑ Kit, Borys (October 25, 2018). "Idris Elba, Tilda Swinton to Star in George Miller's Epic Love Story 'Three Thousand Years of Longing' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on July 31, 2021. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  10. ↑ Mathai, Jeremy (May 18, 2022). "Three Thousand Years Of Longing Footage Reveals First Look At George Miller's New Movie". /Film . Archived from the original on May 18, 2022. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  11. ↑ "Three Thousand Years Of Longing". Production List. January 13, 2020. Archived from the original on February 7, 2020. Retrieved February 6, 2020.
  12. ↑ Thompson, Anne (July 23, 2019). "George Miller Looks Back on 'Mad Max: Fury Road,' and Forward to More Furiosa". IndieWire . Archived from the original on July 23, 2019. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  13. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (December 6, 2019). "George Miller On March Start Date For Next Film, More 'Mad Max', Defending Superheroes As Cinema & The Search For Depth That Makes Movies Like 'Fury Road' Unforgettable". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 6, 2019. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  14. ↑ Kay, Jeremy; Tutt, Louise (September 10, 2020). "Cautious industry heads into TIFF with eyes wide open". Screen Daily . Archived from the original on September 26, 2020. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
  15. ↑ Wiseman, Andreas (December 9, 2020). "George Miller's 'Three Thousand Years Of Longing' Underway In Australia; Oscar-Winning DoP John Seale Among 'Mad Max: Fury Road' Team Re-Uniting On Movie". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 9, 2020. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
  16. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (May 14, 2020). "MGM Lands North American Rights On George Miller-Directed 'Three Thousand Years Of Longing' With Idris Elba & Tilda Swinton". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 14, 2020. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
  17. 1 2 Keslassy, Elsa (March 16, 2022). "George Miller's 'Three Thousand Years of Longing' With Tilda Swinton, Idris Elba Set for Cannes (Exclusive)". Variety. Archived from the original on March 16, 2022. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
  18. ↑ "Three Thousand Years of Longing | Official Trailer | 2022 [HD]". May 23, 2022. Retrieved May 23, 2022– via YouTube.
  19. ↑ "Three Thousand Years of Longing | Official Trailer HD | Starring Idris Elba and Tilda Swinton". May 21, 2022. Archived from the original on March 4, 2023. Retrieved July 2, 2022– via YouTube.
  20. ↑ Sharf, Zack (May 20, 2022). "George Miller's Visual Feast 'Three Thousand Years of Longing' Earns Six-Minute Standing Ovation in Cannes". Variety. Archived from the original on January 1, 2023. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
  21. ↑ Wiseman, Andreas (May 20, 2022). "Activist Removed From Cannes Red Carpet Following Naked Protest Against Sexual Violence In Ukraine". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 4, 2023. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
  22. ↑ Chapman, Wilson (May 20, 2022). "George Miller Tells an Epic, Fantasy Love Story in 'Three Thousand Years of Longing' Trailer". Variety. Archived from the original on March 4, 2023. Retrieved July 15, 2022.
  23. ↑ O'Rourke, Ryan (August 5, 2022). "George Miller's 'Three Thousand Years of Longing' Release Date Moved Up". Collider . Archived from the original on August 16, 2022. Retrieved August 8, 2022.
  24. ↑ "Three Thousand Years of Longing DVD Release Date". www.dvdsreleasedates.com. Archived from the original on March 7, 2023. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
  25. ↑ "Three Thousand Years of Longing - Financial Information". The Numbers . Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved October 6, 2022.
  26. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (August 27, 2022). "Horror Pic 'The Invitation' Leads Worst Weekend At This Summer's Box Office, All Pics Grossing $54M". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 27, 2022. Retrieved August 27, 2022.
  27. ↑ McClintock, Pamela (August 28, 2022). "Box Office: 'The Invitation' Leads Horrifyingly Slow Weekend With $7M". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 27, 2022. Retrieved August 28, 2022.
  28. ↑ Rubin, Rebecca (August 28, 2022). "'The Invitation' Tops Box Office With $7 Million in Catastrophically Slow Weekend". Variety. Archived from the original on August 28, 2022. Retrieved August 28, 2022.
  29. ↑ Welk, Brian (August 29, 2022). "Why George Miller's 'Three Thousand Years of Longing' Tanked at the Box Office". TheWrap . Archived from the original on September 2, 2022. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
  30. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (September 3, 2022). "Rebound Summer Loses Heat With Ice Cold Labor Day Weekend — Even With $3 Tickets On National Cinema Day; 'Top Gun: Maverick' Nearing $700M – Saturday AM Box Office". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on September 5, 2022. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
  31. ↑ "Three Thousand Years of Longing". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved November 22, 2024. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  32. ↑ "Three Thousand Years of Longing". Metacritic . Fandom, Inc. Retrieved November 15, 2024.
  33. ↑ Debruge, Peter (May 20, 2022). "'Three Thousand Years of Longing' Review: George Miller's Wishy-Washy Fantasy Has Serious Story Problems". Variety. Archived from the original on August 23, 2022. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.