Micheal Ward to co-star with Olivia Colman in Sam Mendes' Empire of Light

Small Axe-fame Micheal Ward will star opposite Oscar winner Olivia Colman in British filmmaker Sam Mendes' upcoming feature Empire of Light.

Ward, a Jamaican-born British actor, is famous for starring in Lovers Rock, which is the second part of Steve McQueen's highly-acclaimed anthology movie series Small Axe.

Produced by Searchlight Pictures, Empire of Light is a romantic drama set in and around the South Coast of England in the 1980s. The film marks Mendes' first solo outing as a screenwriter.

The filmmaker, known for critically-acclaimed movies 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 also produce the project through his Neal Street Productions along with Pippa Harris.

Ward is currently busy with the second season of his hit Netflix series Top Boy. He will also feature in the streaming platform's upcoming film Beauty, co-starring Giancarlo Esposito and Sharon Stone.