Skip to main content

Idris Elba is a genie in Three Thousand Years of Longing

The story of a genie who gives out three wishes is one of the more popular fairy tales in several cultures. However, Three Thousand Years of Longing features a genie like you’ve never seen before. Idris Elba is playing the djinn, and his new master is Alithea Binnie (Tilda Swinton), a scholar who doesn’t really believe in magic or genies.

In the first trailer for Three Thousand Years of Longing, we learn how Alithea acquires the lamp that served as both home and prison for the djinn. It’s also pretty hard for Alithea to argue against the existence of magic when the djinn appears to her as a true giant before taking on a more size-appropriate form. He also has a proposition for Alithea: Three wishes in exchange for his freedom.

THREE THOUSAND YEARS OF LONGING | Official Trailer | MGM Studios

Unfortunately for the djinn, Alithea is fully aware that making three wishes is almost always a cautionary tale. To counter her suspicions, the djinn will spin the tales of people who lived thousands of years before Alithea. And perhaps their stories will allow Alithea to write her own chapter and come to realize her heart’s desire.

Tilda Swinton and Idris Elba in Three Thousand Years of Longing.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Alyla Browne co-stars as Young Alithea, with Aamito Lagum as Queen of Sheba, Burcu Gölgedar as Zefir, Matteo Bocelli as Prince Mustafa, Kaan Guldur as Murad IV, Jack Braddy as Ibrahim, Hugo Vella as Young Ibrahim, Pia Thunderbolt as Ezgi, Anna Adams as Sugar Lamp, David Collins as Jocular Storyteller, and Angie Tricker as Narratologist.

Recommended Videos

George Miller directed the film and co-wrote the script based on The Djinn in the Nightingale’s Eye by A. S. Byatt with Augusta Gore. United Artists will release Three Thousand Years of Longing in theaters on August 31, and it will likely stream on Prime Video a few months after that.

Blair Marnell
Blair Marnell has been an entertainment journalist for over 15 years. His bylines have appeared in Wizard Magazine, Geek…
Why Prime Video may be getting more annoying for some folks
The Amazon Prime Video home screen.

If you're a paid-up member of Amazon Prime and watch stuff on Prime Video, have you noticed anything different lately, such as more ads interrupting your viewing experience?

The video streaming service is now showing up to six minutes of ads per hour, double what it was showing when it introduced ads in January 2024, according to a report by AdWeek.

Read more
Webb Telescope gets the star treatment in new NASA documentary
The Pillars of Creation, imaged by the James Webb Space Telescope

The pages of Digital Trends are filled with breathtaking images of deep space captured by the James Webb Space Telescope, including the beautiful Cosmic Tornado, the gorgeous Ring Nebula, the incredible Carina Nebula, and a stunning spiral galaxy. 

The Webb telescope -- the most powerful ever built -- launched in 2021 and has been scanning the far reaches of space ever since. Besides beaming back amazing infrared imagery, the telescope is also helping scientists to learn more about the universe’s first stars and galaxies, the formation of numerous stars and planetary systems, and the origins of life itself, by exploring distant places with unprecedented clarity. 

Read more
3 underrated HBO Max movies you should watch this weekend (June 13-15)
A woman stands over a railing in Parthenope.

One of the biggest box office flops of the year, Alto Knights, is now on HBO Max. In a dual role, Robert De Niro stars as Vito Genovese and Frank Costello, two mob bosses battling for control in 1950s New York. One seismic decision leads to a war between Vito and Frank, and only one man will be left standing.

A positive effect of streaming is that a failed movie like Alto Knights can still find an audience on streaming platforms. Other films with lesser profiles can also find audiences, including Parthenope, Paolo Sorrentino’s beautiful Italian drama. Watch Parthenope and two more underrated movies on HBO Max below.

Read more