Three Thousand Years of Longing
A djinn tells three tales from his millennia of existence.
Three Thousand Years of Longing is a 2022 romantic fantasy drama film directed and produced by George Miller. It is based on A. S. Byatt's 1994 short story 'The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye' and follows a narratology scholar who unleashes a djinn from a bottle. The film premiered out of competition at the 75th Cannes Film Festival and was dedicated to Miller's mother Angela and Rena Mitchell.
Quick Facts
- Director
- George Miller
- Screenplay
- George Miller; Augusta Gore
- Based on
- "The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye", A. S. Byatt
- Producer
- Doug Mitchell; George Miller
- Starring
- Idris Elba
- Aska Karem
- Matteo Bocelli
- Aamito Lagum
- Sarah Houbolt
- Lachy Hulme
- Tilda Swinton
- Cinematography
- John Seale
- Editing
- Margaret Sixel
- Music
- Tom Holkenborg
Facts from the source article.
Plot
Alithea Binnie, a British narratology scholar, experiences hallucinations of demonic beings. During a trip to Istanbul, she buys an antique Çeşm-i Bülbül bottle and releases the Djinn trapped inside. The Djinn offers her three wishes, with restrictions: no more wishes, no immortality, and no ending sin or suffering. Alithea argues that wishing is a mistake, recalling an imaginary friend from childhood she chose to forget. The Djinn then tells her three stories from his past. In the first, the Queen of Sheba, the Djinn's lover, is wooed by King Solomon, who imprisons the Djinn in a brass bottle cast into the Red Sea. Centuries later, the bottle is used as a stone in a wall. The second story involves Gülten, a concubine of Suleiman the Magnificent, who wishes for Suleiman's son Mustafa to love her and to bear his child. Hürrem Sultan schemes against Mustafa, leading to his murder, and Gülten is killed before making her final wish. The Djinn wanders the palace for over a century. He nearly catches the attention of Murad IV, but the sultan dies of alcoholism. His brother Ibrahim develops a fetish for overweight concubines; his favorite, Sugar Lump, finds the bottle and, thinking the Djinn a trickster, wishes him re-imprisoned at the bottom of the Bosporus.
Production
In October 2018, George Miller announced his next directorial effort, described as epic in scope, with Idris Elba and Tilda Swinton cast. The film is based on A. S. Byatt's short story 'The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye'. Pre-production was set for late 2019, with filming to begin March 2, 2020, in Australia, Turkey, and the United Kingdom. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, filming was delayed and began in November 2020 in Australia.
Release
MGM, via United Artists Releasing, secured the film's North American distribution in May 2020. Metropolitan Filmexport took France, Sunac Culture took China, Roadshow Entertainment handled Australia, and Entertainment Film Distributors managed the UK. The film debuted out of competition at the 75th Cannes Film Festival on May 20, 2022, earning a six-minute standing ovation, with its first trailer released that same day. Its US release shifted from August 31 to August 26, 2022, while Australia saw it on September 1. VOD arrived November 1, 2022, followed by Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K UHD on November 15.
Reception
Three Thousand Years of Longing grossed $8.3 million in the United States and Canada and $12 million in other territories, totaling $20.3 million against a $60 million budget. In its US opening weekend, it made $2.9 million from 2,436 theaters. Variety called it a terrible result and one of the biggest box office bombs of 2022, citing lack of marketing and the wide-release strategy. TheWrap noted it could still turn a profit for MGM after streaming, as the company spent only $6 million on domestic distribution rights. In its second weekend, the film dropped 47.1% to $1.5 million. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave it a 'B' average. Peter Debruge of Variety said the film seizes the imagination and defies anticipation. James Cameron-Wilson of Film Review Daily praised the technical wizardry and CGI as a hugely seductive blitzkrieg, calling it a hallucinogenic, mentally-stirring experience that is more visual and verbal than emotional. Xan Brooks of The Guardian described it as a consciously unfashionable fantasy, guileless and open-hearted, defiantly out of step with fashion.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who stars in Three Thousand Years of Longing?
Three Thousand Years of Longing stars Idris Elba, Aska Karem, Matteo Bocelli, Aamito Lagum, Sarah Houbolt, Lachy Hulme and Tilda Swinton.
Who composed the music for Three Thousand Years of Longing?
The music for Three Thousand Years of Longing was composed by Tom Holkenborg.
Who wrote Three Thousand Years of Longing?
Three Thousand Years of Longing was written by George Miller and Augusta Gore.
How long is Three Thousand Years of Longing?
Three Thousand Years of Longing has a running time of 108 minutes.
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