After the success of 1917, Sam Mendes is back with another compelling film – 2022’s Empire of Light. The filmmaker’s very own tribute to the power of cinema, it explores the beauty of human connection during times of both internal and external chaos. Broadchurch star Olivia Colman headlines the movie, alongside award-winning actors Toby Jones (Infamous) and Colin Firth (The Staircase).
Confirmed to debut on streaming TV next week, find out how you can watch Empire of Light in Australia here.
What’s in this Guide?
Empire of Light preview
Set in an English coastal town in the early 1980s, with a faded old cinema at the forefront, Empire of Light showcases the face of real human connection and the magic of cinema through the lens of Hilary Small.
Hilary is a cinema manager struggling with her mental health. Her life gets a little easier after meeting the brilliant and charming Stephen, a new employee at the Empire Cinema. As their unlikely and tender relationship deepens, complications arise, bringing forth events that are as heartbreaking as they are uplifting.
Writer and director Sam Mendes produced Empire of Light alongside Pippa Harris, his co-producer in 1917, via their company Neal Street Productions, in collaboration with Searchlight Pictures. It also reunites Mendes with Academy Award winning cinematographer Roger Deakins (1917, Skyfall).
Empire of Light trailer
You can watch the trailer for Empire of Light below:
Empire of Light release date
The film hit Australian cinemas on 2nd March 2023. To watch the movie online, it’s scheduled to make its streaming premiere on Disney Plus on 19th April 2023, just over a month after its theatrical run.
| Movie | Date | Streaming Service |
|---|---|---|
| Empire of Light | Wed, 19 April 2023 | Disney Plus |
What other streaming services are Empire of Light on?
Unfortunately, there’s not a lot of options when it comes to watching Sam Mendes’ new romantic drama. Right now, the only place to stream through subscription is Disney Plus. But since Disney’s streaming service offers heaps of exciting entertainment, it’s definitely worth signing up for!
Featured| Streaming Services | Empire of Light |
|---|---|
| Disney Plus | Yes |
| Foxtel | No |
| Foxtel Now | No |
| BINGE | No |
| Amazon Prime Video | No |
| Paramount+ | No |
| Apple TV+ | No |
| Netflix | No |
| Stan | No |
| Free to air | No |
How to watch Empire of Light in Australia
To watch this compelling new drama, simply sign up to Disney Plus to start streaming the film online. It’s just one of the hundreds of movies and TV shows that you can’t find anywhere else, making Disney Plus one of the best streaming services out there in terms of quality content.
New customers signing up can choose between the monthly and the yearly plan, priced at $13.99 and $139.99. It’s worth noting that their free trial is no longer offered, although there are occasional Disney Plus offers that new customers can use to access Marvel, Star Wars, Disney, and much more content.
With just a single tier, there’s no need to pick more expensive plans in order to stream simultaneously. Disney Plus allows users to stream on up to four screens at the same time for the monthly price of $13.99. If you want to save a little bit, you can opt for the $139.99 annual plan, which works out to be only around $12 per month.
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Empire of Light cast
The captivating drama features some fine performances led by Olivia Colman, who’s recently won a Golden Globe and a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her role in The Crown. As for the complete cast of Empire of Light, we’ve listed them down right here, as well as their respective characters.
Other movies on Disney Plus you might like
Disney Plus is packed with award-winning movies, most of which you won’t find anywhere else. After watching this acclaimed drama, you can check out our guide on what’s on Disney Plus for an extensive list of everything the streaming service has to offer. Otherwise, we’ve listed some of our top picks for other movies below.
Streaming devices for watching on Disney Plus
Here’s a list of compatible devices for streaming the movie online.
Devices supported on Disney+
- Amazon Fire TV: Yes – All Fire TV devices & Fire TV Edition Smart TVs
- Amazon Fire Tablet: Yes – Fire OS 5.0 or later
- Apple TV: Yes – tvOS 11.0 and later; 4th-generation Apple TV
- Foxtel: Yes – Foxtel iQ5, iQ4 or iQ3
- Hubbl: Yes – Hubbl Glass & Hubbl Puck
- Chromecast: Yes – Version 1 and newer; Google Nest Hub and Google Nest Hub Max; Vizio Smart TVs (with built-in Chromecast); Android TV devices
- Chromebook: Yes – via Disney+ Android app
- Roku: Yes – Roku boxes and sticks and TVs
- Android TV: Yes – OS 7.0 or later on Google certified TVs
- LG Smart TV: Yes – LG models running webOS 3.0 and above
- Samsung Smart TV: Yes – 2017 models and newer (Tizen OS)
- Hisense Smart TVs and Toshiba Smart TVs: Yes – with VIDAA OS U6 1.2 and other selected models
- PC: Yes – Web browser only; Chrome (version 75+ on Windows 7 or later); Microsoft Edge (version 79+ on Windows 10 or later); Firefox (version 75+ on Windows 7 or later
- Mac: Yes – Safari 11+ is supported on macOS 10.12 (Sierra) and later; Chrome 75+ is supported on macOS 10.10 (Yosemite) and later; Firefox 75+ is supported on macOS 10.9 (Mavericks) and later
- Android phones/tablets: Yes – Android 5.0 (Lollipop) or later
- iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad: Yes – iOS 15.3 and later
- PlayStation: Yes – PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
- Xbox: Yes – Xbox One, Xbox One X, Xbox One S, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Xfinity Flex and X1 TV Box: Yes; select Xfinity X1 models
- Fetch TV: Yes
