Sam Mendes: Empire of Light was rewritten after Margate visit, director says

Olivia Colman, Sam Mendes and Toby Jones attended a screening of Empire of Light at Carlton Cinema in Westgate-on-Sea

Sir Sam Mendes said he rewrote the script for his latest film Empire of Light after being inspired by a visit to Margate.

The movie, which stars Olivia Colman and Colin Firth, was shot around the Kent town in the spring of 2022.

Sir Sam introduced more scenes in Margate during his "scouting visit".

The director visited the Kent seaside again on Sunday for a special screening of the movie, which tells the story of a fading cinema in the 1980s.

He told BBC Radio Kent: "Once I got to know it (Margate), I moved into a hotel for a week and rewrote the script so that it fitted Margate.

"So, I relocated all the scenes in various streets and places around Margate."

Sir Sam, who also directed 1917 and Spectre, was joined by Coleman and actor Toby Jones for the red carpet screening at the Carlton cinema in Westgate-on-Sea.

Hundreds of locals in north Kent were used as extras in the film, and Margate's Dreamland amusement park was transformed into the film's fictional Empire Cinema.

The exterior of Dreamland amusement park was transformed for the film

Some scenes in the film, which is being touted as one of cinema's highlights for 2023, were also shot in the Pavilion Theatre in Worthing, West Sussex.

Academy Award winner Colman said it was "an honour" to film in the historic buildings, and said accepting the role was an easy choice.

She said: "When Sam Mendes says, 'would you like a lead in a film', I'd defy anyone to say, 'nah, I'm busy picking the bobbles off my tights'.

"It was an absolute yes. I read it and was thrilled and a bit scared, which is always quite a good thing I think."

Colman has been nominated for a Golden Globe for her role in the film.

It is believed that the film, which is on general release from Monday, helped bring £4.8m in to the local economy.

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