Where to Watch the Movie

The next big George Mueller Adventure comes today with the movie Three thousand years of longing. The mastermind behind it crazy max and happy feet brings the new fantasy drama seven years after his last critically acclaimed film Mad Max: Fury Road. Back 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 had reportedly been a passion project for him for almost more than 20 years since the original novella was published. Due to the pandemic, filming was pushed back to November 2020 and took place primarily in Australia. After long waiting, Three thousand years of longing premiered earlier this year during the 2022 Cannes Film Festival.

The film is directed by the talented duo of Tilda Swinton (Only lovers are still alive) and Idris Elba (Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom), each representing the main characters of Dr. Alithea and the Djinn will play. Cinematography is over John Sealewho previously worked with Miller Mad Max: Fury Road. The film’s screenplay was co-written by Miller and his daughter. Augusta Gore. Luckily it doesn’t take three thousand years to see the film. Instead, here’s how to watch this month’s highly anticipated fantasy adaptation.

See also: “Three Thousand Years of Our Lives” featurette delves into George Miller’s fantastical world

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 makes the trailer given her job as a scholar who unfortunately doesn’t have many connections in her life, aptly told. On one of her travels 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 asking for what Alithea desires. In a twist, Alithea is reluctant to name wishes due to folklore that has come before to teach that wishes can be dangerous. She asks what others have used their wishes from the Djinn’s experiences for, and the trailer unfolds a kaleidoscope of historical locations and periods (spanning the three thousand years of the title) and reveals the history of the wishes the Djinn has previously granted. The trailer promises plenty of historical and fantasy elements, along with some brilliant visuals.

Three thousand years of longing in the cinema?

MGM Studios and Roadshow Entertainment will bring the film to US theaters on August 26, 2022. Other countries like Australia have a release date starting on September 1st as shown in the table below. The running time of the film is 108 minutes or 1 hour and 48 minutes.

Is Three Thousand Years of Our Lives streaming online?

There is currently no set date as to when and where the film will be available for streaming or VOD. However, it is expected to follow within the next few months after the film’s theatrical release, possibly later this year.

What is “Three Thousand Years of Longing” about?

The film is based on a 1994 collection of short stories entitled The Djinn in the Eye of the Nightingale written by AS Byatt. The general plot of the novella follows an English woman whose job as a “narrator” studying mythology takes her to a congress in Turkey. During her stay, she comes across a mysterious bottle and uncorks it to release a jinn, a spirit-like being from Arabian mythology who can grant her three wishes. However, her knowledge warns her to exercise caution when making these wishes and creates an interesting dynamic between her and the Djinn. The plot of the original novel shares some similarities with the film, as the official synopsis from the film’s website reads:

dr Alithea Binnie (Tilda Swinton) is an academic – content with life and a sane creature. While attending a conference in Istanbul, she accidentally meets a jinn (Idris Elba) who grants her three wishes in exchange for his freedom. This brings with it two problems. First, she doubts he’s real, and second, being a scholar of tales and mythology, she knows all the cautionary tales of wishes gone awry. The Djinn takes his case by telling her fantastical stories from his past. Eventually, infatuated, she makes a wish that surprises them both.

See also: “Three thousand years of longing” clip: Be careful what you wish for

More movies like Three Thousand Years of Our Lives to watch next

Stories revolving around characters who, through fantastical circumstances, are given the chance to make life-changing wishes have become a subgenre within film over the years. Below are just a few fantasy movies that follow characters whose wishes come true and lead them to surreal worlds and dire consequences:

labyrinth (1986): This iconic fantasy musical directed by Jim Henson (The Muppets) played a teenager Jennifer Connelly (A beautiful spirit) as Sarah Williams, whose frustration with her little half-brother, Toby, causes her to wish he were taken away by goblins from the book she’s reading called The Labyrinth. Consequently, her wish is granted when the Goblin King Jareth (David Bowie) shows up and takes Toby away. Sarah immediately regrets her wish and has 13 hours to save Toby by solving Jareth’s maze. The visuals and humor of the film shaped it labyrinth An unforgettable family movie favourite, it takes audiences on a journey through magical landscapes like Goblin City as Sarah learns the importance of family.

Aladdin (1992): The most popular movie featuring a ghost is none other than this Disney animated classic that follows the title character of Aladdin, a charming street kid living in Agrabah who discovers a golden lamp and a magic carpet in a cave after being taken there by the greedy royal vizier was sent, Jafar. After rubbing the lamp, a genie is freed from the treasure and befriends Aladdin while granting him three wishes. Aladdin goes to royalty with a wish from poverty and is defeated by Princess Jasmine while Jafar’s evil plan threatens her happiness and the well-being of Agrabah. Known as one of the classic Disney princess films, Aladdin has excellent comedy and songs, especially with the unforgettable track “A Whole New World”. The animated film also received a live-action remake from Guy Richie in 2019 that goes to great lengths to capture the vibrancy and magic of the original.

The Witches of Eastwick (1987): Another George Miller fantasy film, this time starring, veers away from the family films into more mature and darker themes Suzanne Sarandon (Thelma and Louise), Michelle Pfeiffer (Batman returns) and singers Cher. The trio play disgruntled and widowed housewives who form a coven of witches. Her witch powers draw from her yearnings and desires for an ideal man, bringing about the arrival of Daryl Van Horne (Jack Nicholson). He comes across as a charming man who decides to seduce all three women only to reveal his true devil nature, which requires the trio to stop him with their powers. One of Miller’s crazier films outside of his major franchises, this film brings together a star-studded cast with incredible chemistry in a world of witchcraft.