Director Sam Mendes to team up with Olivia Colman for 'Empire of Light'

The movie will be Mendes' first solo outing as screenwriter

British filmmaker Sam Mendes has teamed up with Oscar winner for his next feature film project.

Set up at Searchlight Pictures, the new movie is a romantic drama, titled Empire of Light reported Variety.

The movie, which is set in and around a beautiful old cinema on the South Coast of England in the 1980s, marks Mendes' first solo outing as a screenwriter.

The filmmaker, known for critically-acclaimed features such as American Beauty, Skyfall and Revolutionary Road, had penned his most recent film, war drama 1917, with Krysty Wilson-Cairns.

For Empire of Light, Mendes is once again collaborating with legendary cinematographer Roger Deakins, who won an Oscar for best cinematography at the 2020 Academy Awards for his work on 1917.

The filmmaker will produce the project through his Neal Street Productions along with Pippa Harris.

"I have long been an admirer of Searchlight and the dynamic way they have produced and released some of my favourite theatrical releases of recent years. This project is very close to my heart, and I couldn’t be more delighted that it has found its ideal home," Mendes said.

Colman is best known for her performances in films and TV shows such as Broadchurch, The Crown and The Favourite, which won her an Academy Award for best actress in 2019