Three Thousand Years of Longing
| Company type | Film distributor |
|---|---|
| Industry | Film |
| Headquarters | United States |
Area served | United States, Australia, France, China, United Kingdom |
| Products | Film distribution |
Three Thousand Years of Longing is a 2022 romantic fantasy drama film helmed and produced by George Miller. The screenplay, crafted by Miller alongside Augusta Gore, adapts A. S. Byatt's 1994 short story "The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye." The narrative follows a djinn, portrayed by Idris Elba, who is liberated by a professor played by Tilda Swinton. The djinn then recounts stories spanning his extensive existence. The film is dedicated to Miller’s mother, Angela, and Rena Mitchell, connected to producer Doug Mitchell.
The movie debuted out of competition at the 75th Cannes Film Festival on May 20, 2022. It was subsequently released in U.S. theaters on August 26, 2022, through Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures via United Artists Releasing, and later in Australia on September 1, 2022, distributed by Roadshow Entertainment. Although critics praised its visual artistry and performances, the film did not achieve commercial success, earning $20.3 million worldwide against a production budget of $60 million.
Plot
Alithea Binnie, a British scholar specializing in narratology who experiences occasional visions of demonic figures, acquires an ancient bottle while in Istanbul and inadvertently frees a djinn trapped inside. The djinn grants her three wishes but imposes specific limitations: she cannot wish for additional wishes, immortality, or an end to sin or suffering. Skeptical of his intentions, Alithea challenges the djinn and recounts how she once created an imaginary companion during childhood but eventually chose to forget him.
In response, the djinn narrates three episodes from his past. The first tale involves the Queen of Sheba—his relative and lover—who becomes the object of King Solomon’s affection. Solomon confines the djinn within a brass vessel cast into the Red Sea; centuries later, fishermen recover it and it ends up embedded in a wall.
The second story centers on Gülten, a concubine in Suleiman the Magnificent’s court. Upon discovering the bottle, she wishes for Mustafa—Suleiman’s son—to love her and father her child. Hürrem Sultan conspires against Mustafa, resulting in his assassination and Gülten’s death before she can use her final wish.
In the third account, the djinn remains invisible within the palace for over a century until Şivekar Sultan—known as "Sugar Lump," favored by Ibrahim—accidentally breaks the bottle. Mistaking him for a deceiver, she wishes to imprison him again at the bottom of the Bosporus Strait.
The final narrative involves Zefir, a merchant’s wife who comes into possession of the bottle during the 19th century. She desires knowledge and to perceive reality as djinn do. Although pregnant with his child and cherished by the djinn, she feels confined by their connection. To alleviate her anxiety, he offers to imprison himself if she so wishes. Ultimately, she chooses to forget him, causing him to become imprisoned once more.
Deeply affected by these stories, Alithea recognizes her love for the djinn. Her first wish is that he loves her as he once loved Zefir. They share an intimate night together before returning to London, where he acquaints himself with contemporary technology while supporting her academic pursuits.
Alithea soon notices that electromagnetic interference from cell towers and satellites is weakening the djinn. She uses her second wish to restore his ability to speak and expresses regret for resisting their natural connection. Her third wish releases him to return to "The Realm of Djinn."
Three years later, Alithea publishes a collection of the djinn’s stories. She encounters him healthy once again in a park; they walk hand in hand as he promises to revisit her throughout her lifetime.
Production
In October 2018, George Miller revealed plans for his forthcoming film, describing it as an "epic in scale," with shooting initially scheduled for 2019. The cast featured Idris Elba and Tilda Swinton. The project is an adaptation of A. S. Byatt's short story "The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye."
By mid-2019, Miller confirmed that pre-production would commence late that year, with principal photography intended to begin on March 2, 2020, in locations including Australia, Turkey, and the United Kingdom. Nevertheless, the COVID-19 pandemic caused delays, and filming ultimately started in November 2020 in Australia.
Release
In May 2020, MGM, through United Artists Releasing, secured North American distribution rights for the film. Distribution responsibilities in France and China were assigned to Metropolitan Filmexport and Sunac Culture, respectively. Roadshow Entertainment took charge of the Australian market, while Entertainment Film Distributors handled the UK release.
The film debuted out of competition at the 75th Cannes Film Festival on May 20, 2022, where it was met with a six-minute standing ovation. Its initial trailer was also launched on that day.
Initially set for an August 31, 2022 release in the United States, the date was moved forward to August 26. The Australian premiere followed shortly after on September 1, 2022.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer alongside Warner Bros. Home Entertainment released the movie on VOD starting November 1, 2022. Physical formats including Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K UHD became available from November 15, 2022.
Box office
Three Thousand Years of Longing accumulated $8.3 million domestically (U.S. and Canada) and $12 million internationally, culminating in a global total of $20.3 million against a production budget of $60 million.
Competing with The Invitation and Breaking during its U.S. and Canadian opening weekend, it generated $1.4 million on its first day and $2.9 million across 2,436 theaters over the weekend. Variety characterized this performance as "disastrous" for a wide release and anticipated it would rank among the major box office failures of 2022, citing insufficient marketing efforts and the broad release strategy as factors behind its poor showing. Conversely, TheWrap suggested that MGM might still achieve profitability through streaming platforms since domestic distribution rights were acquired for only $6 million.
In its sophomore weekend, the film earned $1.5 million ($1.9 million over the extended Labor Day four-day period), experiencing a 47.1% decline and placing 13th at the box office.
Critical response
Peter Debruge of Variety observed: "The film’s most notable accomplishment lies in its ability to captivate our imagination for nearly two hours while challenging us to predict what unfolds next."
James Cameron-Wilson from Film Review Daily described the movie as a "CGI extravaganza" showcasing "technical mastery" that vividly brings to life ancient Ottoman settings alongside mystical genie realms. He regarded it as both visually dazzling and verbally alluring but found it somewhat lacking in emotional depth.
Xan Brooks of The Guardian referred to it as "a deliberately old-fashioned fantasy" that is "sincere and heartfelt," comparing it to an antiquarian bookseller’s ideal narrative and commending its resistance to current cinematic trends.