Searchlight Pictures’ “Empire Of Light” is the latest film from Academy Award-winning director Sam Mendes.

Set in an English seaside town in the early 1980s, movie is a powerful and poignant story about human connection and the magic of cinema. It features a stellar cast led by Academy Award winner Olivia Colman, BAFTA winner Micheal Ward, Tom Brooke, Tanya Moodie, Hannah Onslow, Crystal Clarke, with Toby Jones, and Academy Award winner Colin Firth.


When Is “Empire Of Light” Released?

This new film from Searchlight Pictures film, “Empire Of Light”, is being released first exclusively in cinemas in the United States and Canada on 9th December 2022, and it will be released a little later in the United Kingdom and Ireland on 13th January 2023. The film will be released in Australia and New Zealand on 9th February 2023.


When Will “Empire Of Light” Be On Disney+?

This will very much differ, depending on where you live, and with the film having different theatrical release dates in different countries, it’s much more complicated.

In the United States, due to a long-standing contract that 20th Century Fox signed with HBO years ago, which expires this year, it will likely be coming to HBO Max in early 2023. The good news is that this will be the last new release that is included in this ten-year deal with HBO.

Internationally, “Empire Of Light” will likely follow a similar release pattern as other 20th Century Studio films in 2022, with new films being released about 45 days after its theatrical release date. However, with Bob Iger returning to run Disney, things might change in 2023, should he decide to extend the theatrical release window.

This means in Canada, we are likely to see “Empire Of Light” released on Disney+ in late January 2023.

While in the United Kingdom and Ireland, with a later general release date, the film won’t arrive on Disney+ until the end of February 2023.

In Australia and New Zealand, due to the much later theatrical release, expect it to arrive on Disney+ in late March 2023.


What Time Will “Empire Of Light” Be Released On Disney+

Disney+ updates daily at the following times:

  • Pacific Time: 00:00 AM / Midnight
  • Eastern Time: 03:00 AM
  • UK: 08:00 AM
  • Sydney, Australia – 19:00 PM

Sometimes episodes can arrive a few minutes later as the servers update. The Disney+ front page usually updates about an hour later.


Is “Empire Of Light” Coming To Disney+ Premier Access?

Disney has confirmed that following the release of “Jungle Cruise”, it won’t be using Disney+ Premier Access, instead offering selected movies exclusively in cinemas first, before being released on Disney’s streaming services.


Will “Empire Of Light” Be Coming To Netflix?

Disney’s Searchlight Pictures films are released internationally only on Disney+, so won’t be available on other platforms like Netflix. However, they can be purchased digitally on platforms like Amazon or Apple TV.


Are you looking forward to seeing “Empire Of Light”?

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Roger Palmer

Roger has been a Disney fan since he was a kid and this interest has grown over the years. He has visited Disney Parks around the globe and has a vast collection of Disney movies and collectibles. He is the owner of What's On Disney Plus & DisKingdom. Email: Roger@WhatsOnDisneyPlus.com Twitter: Twitter.com/RogPalmerUK Facebook: Facebook.com/rogpalmeruk

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