George Miller Tells an Epic, Fantasy Love Story in ‘Three Thousand Years of Longing’ Trailer

Seven years after the critically acclaimed “Mad Max: Fury Road,” George Miller is back in the director’s chair for the epic romance film “Three Thousand Years of Longing.”

Based on the 1994 short story “The Djinn in the Nightingale’s Eye” by English writer A. S. Byatt, “Three Thousand Years of Longing” stars Tilda Swinton as Alithea, a brilliant scholar who encounters a Djinn (Idris Elba) imprisoned in an urn. Over the course of a long conversation in a hotel room in Istanbul, the Djinn strikes a deal with Alithea to grant her three wishes if she helps him gain his freedom. Alithea’s wishes results in the two hopping decades through time, all the while developing unexpected feelings for each other.

“Three Thousand Years of Longing” will make its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on Friday. Miller wrote the script with August Gore and produces the film with Doug Mitchell. Craig McMahon and Kevin Sun executive produce the film, while Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, FilmNation Entertainment and Kennedy Miller Mitchell produced. United Artists Releasing will handle distribution of the film.

Miller, best known for creating the “Mad Max” franchise and helming all four of its films, is currently filming “Furiosa,” a prequel to “Mad Max: Fury Road.” Anya Taylor-Joy appears in the film as a younger version of the title character, originally played in “Fury Road” by Charlize Theron. Chris Hemsworth and Tom Burke will also co-star in the film, which was written by Miller and Nico Lathouris. The film is in production in Australia, and is scheduled to premiere worldwide May 24, 2024.

“Three Thousand Years of Longing” premieres in U.S. theaters Aug. 31. Watch the full trailer below.

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