the next big George Miller the adventure arrives today with the movie Three thousand years of longing. The mastermind behind mad max Y Happy Feet presents new fantasy drama seven years after his last critically acclaimed film Mad Max: Fury Road. In 2018, Miller announced his plans for a new epic film that would mark his return to directing. In fact, the plan for the adaptation would have been a passion project of his for nearly 20-plus years since the original novel was published. Due to the pandemic, filming was pushed back to November 2020 and took place primarily in Australia. After a long wait, Three thousand years of longing It finally premiered earlier this year during the 2022 Cannes Film Festival.
The film is headlined by the talented duo of tilda swinton (Only lovers are left alive) Y Idris Elbe (Mandela: long road to freedom), who will play the central characters of Dr. Alithea and Djinn respectively. The cinematography is John Sealewho previously collaborated with Miller on Mad Max: Fury Road. The film’s script was co-written by Miller and her daughter, August Gore. Fortunately, it will not take three thousand years to see the film. Instead, here’s how to watch this month’s highly anticipated fantasy adaptation.
The first trailer was released by MGM Studios on May 20, 2022, just in time for its world premiere at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival. It begins by showing Swinton’s character Alithea, who adequately narrates the trailer given her work as academic who, unfortunately, does not have many connections in his life. During one of her trips, she finds and buys a mysterious-looking bottle and accidentally opens it while cleaning it. Elba’s character emerges from the bottle as a Djinn who asks for what Alithea wants. In a twist, Alithea is hesitant to name any wishes due to the folklore she has come before to teach that wishes can be dangerous. She asks what others have used their wishes from Djinn experiences for and the trailer unfolds a kaleidoscope of historical places and time periods (spanning the titular three thousand years), showing the history of wishes that Djinn have granted before. The trailer promises a lot of story and fantasy elements, as well as some brilliant visuals.
Three thousand years of longing in movie theaters?
MGM Studios and Roadshow Entertainment will release the film in theaters beginning August 26, 2022 in the United States. Other countries like Australia will have a release date from September 1 as presented in the table below. The running time of the movie is 108 minutes or 1 hour and 48 minutes.
| Release date | Country |
| 26 of August | USA |
| August 31 | Canada |
| September 1 | Australia, Germany, Greece, Singapore |
| september 2 | UK, Spain, Bulgaria, Ireland, Poland, Taiwan |
| September 8/9 | Hungary, Portugal, Iceland |
| September 14/16 | Belgium, Finland, Turkey |
Is Three Thousand Years of Longing streaming online?
Currently, there is no set date for when and where the film will be available for streaming or VOD. However, it can be expected to follow within the next few months after the film’s theatrical release, possibly by the end of the year.
What is Three Thousand Years of Longing about?
The film is based on a 1994 collection of short stories titled The Djinn in the Nightingale’s Eye written by like byatt. The general plot of the novel follows an English woman whose profession as a “narratologist” studying mythology leads her to a convention in Turkey. She comes across a mysterious bottle during her stay and uncorks it to release a Djinn, a genie-like entity inspired by Arabian mythology, who can grant her three wishes. However, the knowledge of her informs her to be careful when making these wishes and creates an interesting dynamic between her and the Djinn. The plot of the original novel shares quite a few similarities with the film as the official synopsis on the film’s website states:
Dr. Alithea Binnie (Tilda Swinton) is an academic, content with life, and a creature of reason. While attending a conference in Istanbul, she meets a Djinn (Idris Elba) who offers her three wishes in exchange for her freedom. This presents two problems. Firstly, she doubts that he is real, and secondly, as she is a student of history and mythology, she knows all the cautionary tales of wishes gone wrong. The Djinn pleads her case by telling her fantastic stories from her past. Eventually, she is fooled into making a wish that surprises them both.
More movies similar to Three thousand years of longing that you can see below
Stories revolving around characters getting the chance to make life-changing wishes through fantastical circumstances have become a sub-genre within cinema over the years. Here are some fantasy movies that follow characters whose wishes come true and take them into surreal worlds and dire consequences:
Labyrinth (1986): This iconic fantasy musical directed by jim henson (The Muppets) starring a teenage girl Jennifer Connelly (An amazing mind) as Sarah Williams, whose frustrations with her half-brother Toby make her wish that the goblins would take him away from the book she is reading called “The Labyrinth”. Consequently, her wish comes true when the Goblin King, Jareth (David Bowie), emerges and takes Toby away. Immediately regretting her wish, Sarah must rescue Toby in 13 hours by solving Jareth’s maze. The images and humor of the film have marked Labyrinth as a memorable favorite among family films and takes the audience on a journey through magical landscapes like Goblin City as Sarah learns the importance of family.
Aladdin (1992): The most popular movie involving a genie is none other than this Disney animated classic that follows the titular character of Aladdin, a charming street urchin who lives in Agrabah and discovers a golden lamp and magic carpet in a cave after being sent there by the greedy Royal Vizier. , Jafar. After rubbing the lamp, a genie breaks free from the treasure and forms a friendship with Aladdin as he offers him three wishes. Aladdin rises from rags to royalty using a wish and falls in love with Princess Jasmine, all while Jafar’s evil plot threatens his happiness and Agrabah’s well-being. Recognized as one of the classic Disney princess movies, Aladdin has excellent comedy and songs, especially with the unforgettable track “A Whole New World”. The animated film also received a live-action remake of richie boy in 2019, which goes to great lengths to capture the vibrancy and magic of the original.
The Witches of Eastwick (1987): Turning away from family films to more mature and darker themes is another George Miller fantasy film, this time starring susan sarandon (Thelma and Louise), Michelle Pfeiffer (batman returns), and singer cher. The trio play disgruntled housewives and widows who come together to form a coven. Her witch powers are based on her wishes and desires for an ideal man and cause the arrival of Daryl Van Horne (Jack Nicholson). He introduces himself as a charming man who decides to seduce the three women, only to reveal his true devilish nature which requires the trio to stop him with his powers. One of Miller’s most outrageous films outside of his major franchises, this film brings together a star-studded cast with incredible chemistry in a world of witchcraft.
