Three Thousand Years of Longing
Three Thousand Years of Longing | |
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![]() Theatrical release poster | |
Directed by | George Miller |
Screenplay by |
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Based on | "The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye" by A. S. Byatt |
Produced by |
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Starring | |
Cinematography | John Seale |
Edited by | Margaret Sixel |
Music by | Tom Holkenborg |
Production companies |
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Distributed by |
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Release dates |
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Running time | 108 minutes[2] |
Countries |
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Language | English |
Budget | $60 million[3][4] |
Box office | $19 million[5][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 short story "The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye" by A. S. Byatt and stars Idris Elba as a djinn who is unleashed from a bottle by a professor (Tilda Swinton), and tells her stories from his thousands of years-long existence. The film is dedicated to Miller's mother Angela, as well as Rena Mitchell, relative of producer Doug Mitchell.
The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on May 20, 2022. It was released theatrically in the United States on August 26, 2022, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (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 $19 million for a budget of $60 million.
Plot
Alithea Binnie is a British scholar who occasionally suffers from bizarre hallucinations of demonic beings. During a trip to Istanbul, Alithea purchases an antique bottle, and accidentally unleashes a Djinn that was trapped within it. The Djinn offers to grant Alithea three wishes, so long as each one is truly her heart's desire, but Alithea argues that wishing is a mistake, accusing the Djinn of being a trickster. In response to her accusation, the Djinn proceeds to tell her three tales of his past and how he ended up trapped in the bottle.
The Djinn tells the story of the Queen of Sheba, his cousin and lover, being wooed by King Solomon, who imprisons the Djinn in a bottle and throws the bottle out the window and cast into the Red Sea, so he can keep Sheba for himself. The Djinn's second story centers on Gülten, a young concubine in the palace of Suleiman the Magnificent. After finding the Djinn's 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 son on the throne so she seeds Suleiman's mind with the idea that Mustafa will conduct a coup against him and he is too weak to lead the kingdom. The Djinn tries to warn Gülten but being naive and ignorant with the dirty politics within the ruling class, she ignores him. This result in Mustafa's murder, causing Gülten to leave behind the Djinn's hidden bottle and flee. Despite the Djinn's attempts to pursue and save her, the pregnant Gülten is also killed on Suleiman's orders before she can make her final wish.
The Djinn wanders the palace for over 100 years, invisible and intangible due to the concealment of the bottle. Meanwhile, the bottle is almost found by young princes Murad IV and Ibrahim, but they are unable to successfully uncover the bottle by their mother Kösem Sultan. Years later, Murad IV goes into war, where he becomes a vicious and ruthless ruler, later dying from alcoholism. Ibrahim develops a fetish for voluptuous concubines and becomes the new sultan. His favorite among them, Sugar Lump, accidentally retrieves the bottle, whereupon the Djinn appears to her and desperately begs her to make a wish. Sugar Lump, being silly and terrified, thinking him to be a tricker and wishes for the Djinn to return to his bottle and for the bottle to be cast into the sea.
In the Djinn's final story, he tells of Zefir, the young wife of a Turkish merchant, who is gifted the bottle after it is recovered in the mid-19th century. Zefir wishes first for knowledge, which the Djinn grants in the form of literature, and later to perceive the world as djinns do. Despite the Djinn's growing affection for Zefir and the fact she is now pregnant with his child, she grows increasingly crowded by his presence and her newfound knowledge. The Djinn offers to reside in his bottle whenever she wishes, but as he begins his return to the bottle, Zefir wishes to forget she ever met the Djinn, leaving him imprisoned and unknown once again. The Djinn's final story moves Alithea to the point where she wishes for Djinn and herself to fall in love, resulting in them having sex.
Afterwards, the Djinn and Alithea decide to travel back to London together. At the airport Alithea has placed the Djinn inside a salt shaker bottle and placed the bottle without the top in one pocket and the top in her other pocket which sets off the sensors when she goes through airport security. An Airport security officer investigates the salt shaker by placing a pencil inside and then he places the top on the bottle and places the bottle through the x-ray machine despite Alithea’s pleas. One day, Alithea discovers that the Djinn is gradually becoming weaker due to the effects that the city's cell tower and satellite transmissions have when interacting with his supernatural physiology. She uses her second wish to get the severely ill Djinn to speak again, apologizes for using her wish to deny them the chance to fall in love naturally, and uses her third and final wish to set the Djinn free, so he is able to return to "The Realm of Djinn".
Though expecting never to see him again, the now-healthy Djinn visits Alithea three years later and periodically returns throughout her lifetime.
Cast
- Tilda Swinton as Alithea Binnie
- Alyla Browne as young Alithea Binnie
- Idris Elba as the Djinn
- Erdil Yaşaroğlu as Professor Gühan
- Sarah Houbolt as airport Djinn
- Sabrina Dhowre Elba as British Council lady
- Seyithan Özdemir as pale Djinn
- Aamito Lagum as the Queen of Sheba[1]
- Nicolas Mouawad as King Solomon
- Ece Yüksel as Gülten
- Matteo Bocelli as Prince Mustafa[1]
- Lachy Hulme as Sultan Suleiman
- Megan Gale as Hürrem
- Oğulcan Arman Uslu as Murad IV
- Kaan Guldur as young Murad
- Jack Braddy as Ibrahim
- Hugo Vella as young Ibrahim
- Zerrin Tekindor as Kösem
- Anna Adams as Sugar Lump
- George Shevtsov as the old storyteller
- David Collins as Ozmet the Jocular
- Burcu Gölgedar as Zefir[1]
- Vince Gil as old merchant
- Melissa Jaffer as Clementine
- Anne Charleston as Fanny
- Pia Thunderbolt as Orphan's Pa
- Anthony Moisset as hotel porter
- Danny Lim as storyteller with dog
Production
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/13/George_Miller_%2835706244922%29.jpg/130px-George_Miller_%2835706244922%29.jpg)
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.[7] Idris Elba and Tilda Swinton were announced as cast members the same month.[8] The film is based on A. S. Byatt's short story "The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye."[9]
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.[10][11][12] Filming was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic[13] and began in November 2020 in Australia.[14]
Release
In May 2020, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (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.[15][16] Roadshow Entertainment handled the Australian distribution,[17] while Entertainment Film Distributors handled distribution in the United Kingdom.[18]
The film premiered at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival on May 20, 2022, where it received a six-minute standing ovation.[16][19] 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.[20] The film's first trailer was also released that day.[21]
The film's scheduled release date of August 31, 2022, in the United States, was moved up to August 26.[22] It was released in Australia on September 1, 2022.
The film was released for VOD on November 1, 2022, followed by a Blu-ray, DVD and 4K UHD release on November 15, 2022.[23]
Reception
Box office
Three Thousand Years of Longing grossed $8.3 million in the United States and Canada, and $10.7 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $19 million.[6]
In the United States and Canada, it was released alongside The Invitation and Breaking.[4] It made $1.4 million on its first day[24] and went on to debut with $2.9 million from 2,436 theaters on its opening weekend.[25] 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.[26] 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.[27] 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.[28]
Critical response
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 71% of 245 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.5/10. The website's critics 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."[29] 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".[30] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale.[24]
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."[31]
References
- ^ a b c d 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. Retrieved May 17, 2022.
- ^ "Three Thousand Years of Longing (15)". BBFC. August 27, 2022. Retrieved August 27, 2022.
Cinema 107m 53s
- ^ Endre, Dora (March 21, 2022). "Three Thousand Years of Longing: Everything We Know So Far". MovieWeb. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
- ^ a b Rubin, Rebecca (August 24, 2022). "Box Office: Box Office: Three New Movies Slink Into Theaters, With Limited Expectations". Variety. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
- ^ "Three Thousand Years of Longing". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved October 6, 2022.
- ^ a b "Three Thousand Years of Longing (2022)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved October 13, 2022.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Mathai, Jeremy (May 18, 2022). "Three Thousand Years Of Longing Footage Reveals First Look At George Miller's New Movie". /Film. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
- ^ "Three Thousand Years Of Longing". Production List. January 13, 2020.
- ^ Thompson, Anne (July 23, 2019). "George Miller Looks Back on 'Mad Max: Fury Road,' and Forward to More Furiosa". IndieWire.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Kay, Jeremy; Tutt, Louise (September 10, 2020). "Cautious industry heads into TIFF with eyes wide open". Screen Daily.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b Keslassy, Elsa (March 16, 2022). "George Miller's 'Three Thousand Years of Longing' With Tilda Swinton, Idris Elba Set for Cannes (Exclusive)". Variety. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
- ^ "Three Thousand Years of Longing | Official Trailer | 2022 [HD]". May 23, 2022. Retrieved May 23, 2022 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Three Thousand Years of Longing | Official Trailer HD | Starring Idris Elba and Tilda Swinton". May 21, 2022. Retrieved July 2, 2022 – via YouTube.
- ^ Sharf, Zack (May 20, 2022). "George Miller's Visual Feast 'Three Thousand Years of Longing' Earns Six-Minute Standing Ovation in Cannes". Variety. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
- ^ Wiseman, Andreas (May 20, 2022). "Activist Removed From Cannes Red Carpet Following Naked Protest Against Sexual Violence In Ukraine". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
- ^ Chapman, Wilson (May 20, 2022). "George Miller Tells an Epic, Fantasy Love Story in 'Three Thousand Years of Longing' Trailer". Variety. Retrieved July 15, 2022.
- ^ O'Rourke, Ryan (August 5, 2022). "George Miller's 'Three Thousand Years of Longing' Release Date Moved Up". Collider. Retrieved August 8, 2022.
- ^ "Three Thousand Years of Longing DVD Release Date". www.dvdsreleasedates.com. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
- ^ a b 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. Retrieved August 27, 2022.
- ^ McClintock, Pamela (August 28, 2022). "Box Office: 'The Invitation' Leads Horrifyingly Slow Weekend With $7M". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 28, 2022.
- ^ Rubin, Rebecca (August 28, 2022). "'The Invitation' Tops Box Office With $7 Million in Catastrophically Slow Weekend". Variety. Retrieved August 28, 2022.
- ^ Welk, Brian (August 29, 2022). "Why George Miller's 'Three Thousand Years of Longing' Tanked at the Box Office". TheWrap. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
- ^ 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. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
- ^ "Three Thousand Years of Longing". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved October 23, 2022.:71%|
- ^ "Three Thousand Years of Longing". Metacritic. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
- ^ Debruge, Peter (May 20, 2022). "'Three Thousand Years of Longing' Review: George Miller's Wishy-Washy Fantasy Has Serious Story Problems". Variety. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
External links
- 2022 films
- 2022 fantasy films
- 2022 romantic drama films
- 2020s American films
- 2020s Australian films
- 2020s English-language films
- 2020s fantasy drama films
- 2020s romantic fantasy films
- American epic films
- American fantasy drama films
- American romantic drama films
- American romantic fantasy films
- Australian epic films
- Australian fantasy drama films
- Australian romantic drama films
- Australian romantic fantasy films
- Film productions suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic
- FilmNation Entertainment films
- Films about wish fulfillment
- Films based on short fiction
- Films directed by George Miller
- Films produced by Doug Mitchell
- Films produced by George Miller
- Films scored by Junkie XL
- Films set in Istanbul
- Films set in London
- Films shot in Australia
- Films with screenplays by George Miller
- Genies in film
- Magic realism films
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films