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Australian filmmakerGeorge Millerhas had quite an exciting career over his fifty-plus years in the industry. He has established himself as having one of the most unique and influential voices in cinema, practically creating an entire genre with the non-stop post-apocalyptic action of theMad Maxtrilogy. He then took a break from the gritty wasteland to go on a family-friendly sabbatical withBabe: Pig in the Cityand the twoHappy Feetfilms. Miller eventually returned to the world ofMad MaxwithMad Max: Fury Road, considered by both critics and fans to be not only the best film in the series but also one of the best action films ever made.
Though he is still invested in theMad Maxuniverse with an announced continuation toFury Roadas well as a prequel following Imperator Furiosa, until those much-anticipated projects hit the screen, Miller’s latest film is his first original concept sinceHappy Feet.Three Thousand Years of Longingis the writer/director’s passion project that Miller has reportedly been wanting to make for the last twenty years. With the mysterious fantasy drama finally being released after premiering at the prestigiousCannes Film Festival, here is every detail we have so far onThree Thousand Years of Longing.
Editor’s Note: This piece was last updated on August 27 to add the updated Release Date and Critical Reception.
Related:‘Three Thousand Years of Longing’ Poster Reveals Idris Elba and Tilda Swinton in High Fantasy
Watch theThree Thousand Years of Longing Trailer
We got our first good glimpse ofThe Thousand Years of Longingin May 2022 with the full-length trailer introducing the two main characters and giving something of an idea of what the story will be.The teaserintroduces Alithea, a lonely English woman who finds a mysterious yet beautiful vial whilst traveling out of the country to Istanbul. When she brings the vial to her hotel room and starts to clean it, a magical being called a Djinn (more commonly known as a genie) bursts out of it. In typical genie fashion, the Djinn tells Alithea that he will grant her three wishes. This is all new for Alithea, and she has plenty of questions as well as doubts, as the trailer continues and ends with a sizzle reel of footage mainly consisting of what appear to be flashbacks of the djinn’s past and his previous masters. Since then, two more promotional clips for the movie have been released, the first titled“Wish We Never Met”and the second providing somebehind-the-scenes infoabout the movie.
When and Where Is Three Thousand Years of Longing Releasing?
After having premiered at Cannes,Three Thousand Years of Longingwas finally released in US theaters on July 26, 2025, with a runtime of 108 minutes. The movie’s original release date was August 31 but it was moved up, though it will still be releasing in Canada on that date (for more international release dates, see the table below). You won’t be able to watch it on your couch yet, however, as the trailer makes it explicitly clear that the anticipated project will only be available in theaters for the time being.
Release Date
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
Related:Idris Elba and Daniela Melchior on ‘The Suicide Squad’ and Why They Loved James Gunn’s Script
How Is the Critical Reception to Three Thousand Years of Longing?
Critics have givenThree Thousand Years of Longinga rather positive reception so far. Reportedly after it premiered at Cannes, the movie received an impressive six-minute-long standing ovation. Check out this excerpt fromCollider’s review ofThree Thousand Years of Longing, written byRoss Bonaime.
…like with the majority of Miller’s work, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the ambition and beauty of this world that is being crafted, a testament to Miller’s brilliance as one of film’s greatest storytellers working today. Miller’s modern fairly tale is full of beauty, love, and care, even if the film often focuses on the grand instead of the modest moments.
What Is Three Thousand Years of Longing About?
Even though the trailer is more focused on showcasing the film’ssurreal visualsrather than spoiling every detail of the plot (like most trailers unfortunately do), it does at least introduce the set-up of the plot pretty simply. Based on the short story byA.S. ByatttitledThe Djinn in the Nightingale’s Eye, the main plot centers around Alithea, a proud, logical English scholar. Though she used to be married, Alithea now lives a pretty lonely life, with the most excitement she gets coming from when she goes to attend a business conference in Istanbul. It’s there that she finds a vial that she becomes instantly drawn to.
A quick trip back to her hotel room and a light rub of the vial later, and she finds out that a genie lives in that very same bottle, but when she’s told that she gets three wishes, Alithea isn’t as keen on the prospect as you might think. Instead, she’s a bit inquisitive and concerned, wanting to know how this whole “wish-making” process works and the potential dangers this could wreak on her life given how so many of these stories wind up being “cautionary tales”. The Djinn then tries to alleviate this hesitation by showing her visions of his past and what his awesome powers can do to change her life before she finally decides to make a wish.
Related:Watch Tilda Swinton’s Impassioned, Intoxicating Venice Golden Lion Acceptance Speech
Who Made Three Thousand Years of Longing?
As mentioned before,Three Thousand Years of Longingis the brainchild of George Miller, who serves as the movie’s writer, director, and producer. Joining him in the co-writing chair isAugusta Gore, and Miller is also co-producing withVictor Hadida(Resident Evil),Dean Hood(Preacher),Craig McMahon(Black Site), andDoug Mitchell(Mad Max: Fury Road). In addition to Mitchell, Miller has re-teamed with many members of theFury Roadcrew, including composerJunkie XL, editorMargaret Sixel, and cinematographerJohn Seale, who has once again come out of retirement after breaking out the lenses again for the lastMax Maxfilm.
Who Is in theCast of Three Thousand Years of Longing?
Three Thousand Years of LongingfeaturesTilda Swintonin the lead role of Alithea, the scholar who discovers the genie. The Academy Award-winning actress has been consistently praised for her transformative performances, ranging from crowd-pleasing blockbusters likeDoctor Strangeand smaller-scale projects likeSnowpiercer.
Joining her as the co-lead isIdris Elbaas the Djinn, who despite being nameless in his credit as of now, will undoubtedly be an absolutely vital character in the plot. Like Swinton, Elba has a tremendous amount of range in the diverse array of roles he’s portrayed over the years, whether it be an inspiring military leader inPacific Rimor an abusive warlord inBeasts of No Nation.
Other cast members appearing in the film includeAamito Lagumas the Queen of Sheba,Burcu Gölgedaras Zefir,Matteo Bocellias Prince Mustafa,Kaan Gulduras Murad IV,Jack Braddyas Ibrahim,Hugo Vellaas young Ibrahim,Pia Thunderboltas Ezgi,Anna Adamsas Sugar Lamp,David Collinsas Jocular Storyteller, andAngie Trickeras the narrator.
