Colin Firth has joined the cast of the next film from director Sam Mendes, “Empire of Light,” which stars Olivia Colman and “Top Boy” actor Michael Ward.
Firth joins the supporting cast along with Toby Jones, Crystal Clarke and Tanya Moodie, all of whom are newly joining the film.
“Empire of Light” is Mendes’ first original screenplay that he wrote solo rather than with another writing partner, and the film is a love story set in and around a beautiful old cinema on the South Coast of England in the 1980s.
Mendes is also producing along with Pippa Harris for his Neal Street Productions, and Searchlight Pictures is releasing the film in the fall of 2022. This is Mendes’ follow-up to the Oscar-winning “1917,” and he’s even reuniting with legendary cinematographer Roger Deakins on the drama.
Firth is also reuniting with Colman, with whom he most recently starred alongside in Sony Pictures Classics’ “Mothering Sunday.” Prior to that he was seen in “Supernova” opposite Stanley Tucci.
Jones last starred in “First Cow,” “A Boy Called Christmas” and “The Electrical Life of Louis Wain.” He’ll next star in “Tetris,” “The Wonder” and the untitled fifth Indiana Jones movie. Clarke also starred with Jones in “Louis Wain” and she recently wrapped filming on the second and third series of Masterpiece’s “Sanditon.” Moodie is known for roles in “Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker,” “Motherland” for AMC+, CBS’ “The Man Who Fell To Earth” and Netflix’s “Discovery Of Witches.”
Firth is represented by CAA and the Independent Talent Group, Jones by Artists Rights Group, Clarke by Curtis Brown and Moodie by The Artists Partnership.
Deadline first reported the news.
