The Empire Film Podcast
Bauer Media
The Empire Film Podcast is the official podcast of Empire, the world's biggest and best movie magazine. We bring you all the latest movie news and nonsense, as well as reviews of the week's new films, an assortment of irreverent, film-related chat and interviews with some of Hollywood's best and brightest. New episodes every Friday.
For our famous deep dives into specific movies, subscribe to the Empire Spoiler Special Podcast at https://empire.supportingcast.fm/
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Tatiana Maslany, Stephen King Adaptations, And What's Up With Bond?
After the guestapaloozas of recent weeks, we're back to just one guest on this week's Empire Podcast. But what a guest it is, as the great Tatiana Maslany, star of the new Stephen King adaptation The Monkey, pops up on Zoom to talk with Chris Hewitt about death and Comedy Bang Bang. [25:00 - 43:07 approx] In the podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer to discuss their favourite Stephen King movies, review The Monkey, The Order, and I'm Still Here, while the movie news section is
Disney+ Original series A Thousand Blows: An Empire and Pilot TV Podcast Special
Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight heads to the mean streets of Victorian London for A Thousand Blows on Disney+, and what better way to celebrate than with a special Pilot TV/Empire crossover podcast? Chris Hewitt, James Dyer and Kay Ribeiro get under the skin of Knight’s latest period piece, which combines bare-knuckle boxing with organised crime as all-female gang The Forty Elephants rampage through the East End. Plus, Kay speaks to Knight himself about the origins of the series and to star
Harrison Ford; Renee Zellweger, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Leo Woodall; Danny Ramirez
It's a brave new world for the Empire Podcast this week, folks, as Chris Hewitt welcomes a quintet (not to be confused with a Quinjet, although a couple of them might have access to one) of amazing guests. From the latest MCU film, Captain America: Brave New World, Chris first chats to Danny Ramirez, aka Joaquin Torres, aka the new Falcon, about football, flying, and fraternising with famous co-stars like Tom Cruise and Harrison Ford. [22:56 - 37:25 approx] Speaking of Ford, the man who might ju
Ke Huy Quan, John Magaro, Chris Sanders, And The Shrek Is Broken
Another bumper-sized edition of the Empire Podcast this week, as Chris Hewitt sits down on Zoom for chats with a trio of terrific talents. First, there's Ke Huy Quan on Love Hurts, the action movie that represents his first lead role, and first movie since winning an Oscar for Everything Everywhere All At Once. [17:33 - 34:18 approx] Then there's John Magaro, star of September 5, on how that movie and Steven Spielberg's Munich make for a great double-bill. [1:00:34 - 1:16:50 approx] And, finally
Angelina Jolie, Jason Reitman, David Jonsson & An SNL Mount Rushmore
It's another bumper, jam-packed edition of the Empire Podcast this week, folks! The great Angelina Jolie heads up our trio of amazing guests, as she talks to John Nugent about taking on the challenge of playing the legendary opera singer, Maria Callas, in Pablo Larrain's Maria. [20:48 - 34:02 approx] Plus, Chris Hewitt has a fascinating chat with Jason Reitman about how, exactly, he recreated Saturday Night Live's opening night for Saturday Night, [56:33 - 1:15:42 approx] and finally Chris sits
Michelle Yeoh, Adrien Brody: Oscar Winners And Oscar Nominations
This week's episode of the Empire Podcast brings you not one but two Oscar winners, as first Chris Hewitt sits down with Michelle Yeoh to talk about her new Star Trek movie, Section 31, and how the Best Actress Oscar for Everything Everywhere All At Once changed her life [20:56 - 36:39 approx]; then, John Nugent has a fascinating chat with The Brutalist star, current Oscar nominee, and former Best Actor winner, Adrien Brody, about the LA Fires and his role in Brady Corbet's epic drama. [1:02:49
Jesse Eisenberg & Kieran Culkin, James Mangold, Christopher Abbott, and Farewell To David Lynch
This week's Empire Podcast sees Chris Hewitt, Alex Godfrey and Beth Webb bid a sad, but heartfelt, farewell to the great David Lynch, who has died at the age of 78. It's also an epic epitaph in many ways, clocking in at around 40 minutes, as the trio, all huge Lynch fans, pay tribute to the genius behind Eraserhead, Blue Velvet, Mulholland Dr., Twin Peaks, and more. [44:18 - 1:26:33 approx] Elsewhere in the episode, which was recorded before the news broke of Lynch's passing, Chris is joined in
#650 (live from Kings Place, London) ft. Nick Frost, Harris Dickinson, Claes Bang, Joe Alwyn
Here it is, folks. The 650th episode (if you don't count all the other episodes) of the Empire Podcast, recorded live on Friday January 10th in front of a sell-out crowd at our spiritual home of Kings Place, London. And it's an absolute belter, in which Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and Beth Webb show barely a passing awareness of the week's movie news, review A Real Pain, Babygirl, and Maria, and answer a bunch of questions from the audience. There will be singing. There will be plent
#649 ft. Florence Pugh & Andrew Garfield; Nicholas Hoult; Giovanni Ribisi
We're back! Yes, after a whole week off for the Christmas holidays, the Empire Podcast has returned to darken your aural doors once more, and the first pod of 2025 is an absolute belter, as Chris Hewitt sits down with four incredible guests. First, he talks carousel horses and chocolate with We Live In Time stars, Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield. [24:27 - 36:32 approx] Second, he welcomes Nosferatu star Nicholas Hoult back to the pod, and they talk about embracing fear, giving golf lessons in
The Empire Podcast Review Of 2024
So, 2024: a year of cinematic highs, lows, and bits in the middle. And in the annual tradition that is our Review Of The Year podcast, Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, and James Dyer drill deep into them all (time allowing, of course), answering questions from listeners on a vast array of topics, before running down Empire's Top 20 films of the year. It's a bumper-sized one, folks, just the thing to see you into 2025. Happy New Year to all our listeners — enjoy!
The Ranking: A Christmas Carol Adaptations
Merry Christmas, listeners! Here, as a special Christmas Eve present, is an episode of The Ranking, the show in which four Empire writers get together and argue the toss over a whole bunch of themed films. (And yes, we know this is the first one in ages. We promise to do better in 2025!) Anyway, it's Christmas Eve, the time when Ebenezer Scrooge was visited by three ghosts and shown the error of his ways in Charles Dickens' classic tale, A Christmas Carol. It's a timeless story, and one beloved
#648 ft. Aaron Pierre; Robbie Williams & Michael Gracey; Ben Schwartz & Jeff Fowler; Nick Park & Merlin Crossingham
"Four sets of guests, Jeremy? Four? That's insane!" Yes, folks, the last Empire Podcast of 2024 is an absolute barnstormer, a two-and-a-half-hour blast of film-related fun just in time for the festive season. And we have more guests than you could possibly fit under the tree. There's Mufasa: The Lion King star, Aaron Pierre! Nick Park & Merlin Crossingham, directors of Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl! Ben Schwartz and Jeff Fowler, star and director respectively of Sonic The Hedgehog 3! And
#647 ft. Gerard Butler; Kenji Kamiyama, Joseph Chou & Jason DeMarco; Jon M. Chu
It's the penultimate Empire Podcast of the year, folks, and to celebrate the impending season of goodwill to all, we've brought you another bumper episode. Which is nice of us. Guest-wise, Chris Hewitt sits down once again with one of our favourite guests, Gerry 'Gerard' Butler, to talk about his decidedly un-Gerry Butler-like role as Santa himself in charming kids movie The Night Before Christmas In Wonderland, [17:52 - 32:42 approx] while Helen O'Hara chats The Lord Of The Rings: The War Of Th
#646 ft. Cate Blanchett & Nikki Amuka-Bird, Amy Adams
This week's episode of the Empire Podcast sees the team enter into the festive season spirit with our first Christmas-themed question of the year, as Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara and James Dyer argue about the greatest Christmas movie villain of them all. Plus, they make the best of a very bad lot of post-Thanksgiving movie news by talking about the new Snow White trailer, Moana 2's box office and, for some reason, the sexiest Jack Ryan. And they also review Rumours, Nutcrackers, and Nightbitch. A
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew — An Empire Podcast Preview Special ft. Jon Watts & Christopher Ford, Nick Frost
Skeleton Crew is the latest Star Wars show to launch on Disney+, with a two-episode premiere dropping on Tuesday December 3rd. And to get you in the mood for the show, which follows the misfortunes of four young kids who find themselves thrust into all kinds of adventures with space pirates, droids, and a mysterious man called Jod (Jude Law), here's an Empire Podcast preview special, in which Chris Hewitt sits down on Zoom for two really fun interviews with the show's co-creators and head writer
#645 ft. Auli'i Cravalho, Ralph Fiennes & Stanley Tucci & Isabella Rossellini
It's a shorter Empire Podcast this week, folks (blame Hollywood for shutting down for Thanksgiving, which is just plain selfish), but that doesn't mean it's any less jampacked with guests, greatness, and guesty greatness than usual. First, Chris Hewitt sits down with Auli'i Cravalho, Moana herself, to talk about returning for this week's Moana 2 and the art of not talking to people on planes. [16:03 - 29:35 approx] And then Ian Freer has an audience with... well, if not the Pope, then the next b
#644 ft. Steve McQueen, John David Washington & Danielle Deadwyler, Josh Cooley
It's another epic episode of the Empire Podcast this week, folks, as Chris Hewitt sits down in person with all our guests. First, there's the great Steve McQueen, writer and director of Blitz, to talk about how he approached the World War II drama, and working with Paul Weller. [18:56 - 35:15 approx] Then Chris has a cracking conversation with The Piano Lesson stars John David Washington (following in the footsteps of his father, Denzel, who was a guest on last week's episode) and Danielle Deadw
#643 ft. Denzel Washington, Zoe Saldaña, Sean Baker
Blimey, our guest cup continues to overflow, folks. This week's Empire Podcast sees Chris Hewitt sit down with Gladiator II star, and all-round legend, Denzel Washington, to talk about reuniting with Ridley Scott, and to clarify Denzel's recent hint that he might be winding down as an actor. Oh, and Chris quotes //that// Equalizer 2 line to Denzel's face, because he's utterly without shame. [20:15 - 39:40 approx] Elsewhere, Amon Warmann has a lovely chat with Emilia Perez star, Zoe Saldaña, abou
#642 ft. Hugh Bonneville & Emily Mortimer, Andrea Arnold, Jac Schaeffer
This week's Empire Podcast isn't so much jam-packed as marmaladen with great guests, as Chris Hewitt talks to Paddington In Peru stars Hugh Bonneville and Emily Mortimer (the new Mrs. Brown) about tarantulas, Paddington tantrums, and shooting in the wilds of Basingstoke [20:47 - 35:27 approx]; the great British director Andrea Arnold about her new film, Bird, working with non-actors, and shooting in Gravesend [51:56 - 1:07:39 approx]; and Agatha All Along showrunner Jac Schaeffer, in an extended
Paul Reiser: An Empire Podcast Interview Special
Paul Reiser is a comedian, actor, writer and producer who just happens to have starred in some of Team Empire's favourite films. So, when our Chris Hewitt was given the chance to talk to the star of Aliens, Diner, Whiplash, and Beverly Hills Cop, he jumped at the chance. The result is a wide-ranging and freewheeling chat about Reiser's astonishing start in Hollywood, his aversion to directing, his time spent working with Peter Falk, the experience of shooting Aliens and Whiplash and, of course,
#641 ft. Hugh Grant, Ian Bonhote, Peter Ettedgui
This week's episode of the Empire Podcast sees Hugh Grant return for an in-depth chat with Mike Muncer about his new movie, Heretic, and whether or not he's into horror, [24:54 - 38:02 approx] while Chris Hewitt has a lovely chat about Christopher Reeve with Ian Bonhote and Peter Ettedgui, directors of a new documentary about the late Superman star, Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story. [58:32 - 1:17:42 approx] Either side of those, Chris is joined in the podbooth by Helen O'Hara and James Dye
An Empire Podcast Halloween Interview Special ft. Damian Lewis on The Radleys, Brian Netto, Adam Schindler and Sam Raimi on Don't Move
Happy Halloween, listeners! It's the most wonderful day of the year, if you're a spook, spectre, or masked maniac. And to mark All Hallow's Eve, here's a treat (not a trick), as we've put together a terrifying double bill of interviews for you. Well, the interviews are fun, although you might find some of Chris Hewitt's questions terrifying as he sits down with Damian Lewis, star of The Radleys, to talk about playing not one but two vampires, and Brian Netto & Adam Schindler, directors of Don't
#640 ft. Dan Aykroyd, Benjamin Ree
It's a question as old as time: who ya gonna call? And an equally aged answer: Ghostbusters! Or, in the case of this week's Empire Podcast, a Ghostbuster. But not just any Ghostbuster — the heart of the Ghostbusters, and co-creator of the franchise, the legendary Dan Aykroyd, who jumps on the blower with Chris Hewitt to talk about the Ghostbusters In Concert show at the Royal Albert Hall, webbed feet, and writing one of the greatest comedies of all time. [21:55 - 41:32 approx] Our other guest th
#639 ft. Naomi Scott, Anna Kendrick
Spooky season is upon us, folks, and this week's Empire Podcast is even more of a horror show than usual, as Chris Hewitt talks to Naomi Scott about her fabulous performance in Parker Finn's scary sequel, Smile 2, [23:26 - 37:26 approx] and the team — Chris, James Dyer, Ben Travis, and Beth Webb — tackle two horror-related questions from listeners, including the horror flicks they think should have been nominated for Best Picture, and an impromptu Mount Rushmore of vampire films that really shou
An Empire Podcast BFI London Film Festival Special
With the BFI London Film Festival about to shut up shop for another year after a cracking 2024 offering, it's the perfect time to bring you our annual LFF podcast, in which Chris Hewitt chats to some of the British filmmakers who have films (and a TV show) at this year's festival. They are: Nick Murphy, director of A Thousand Blows; Sasha Nathwani, director of Last Swim; and Sadie Frost, director of new documentary, Twiggy. And they are fun, frank, and fascinating chats about the directors' proj
#638 ft. Sarah Paulson, Lewis Pullman, and The Rings Of Power s2 Q&A
It's another belting week on the Empire Podcast, folks. On the guest front, James White — ol' Jaime Blanco himself — talks to Sarah Paulson, star of new Disney+ thriller Hold Your Breath, about milking both tension and cows [21:33 - 34:08 approx], Chris Hewitt sits down for a fun chat about vampires, changing tyres, and playing people called Bob with Lewis Pullman, star of the Salem's Lot movie which is finally seeing the light of night after a couple of years sitting on the shelf [52:39 - 1:09:
Pilot TV - Disclaimer, Sweetpea, and La Máquina. With Guests Diego Luna and Gael García Bernal
As a special treat for you, our beloved listeners, here's a bonus pod for you... an episode of Pilot TV! Yes, our sister TV pod is elbowing its way unbidden into your playlist and forcing itself into your ears like an unwanted U2 album. But before you go skipping ahead, why not stay a while and have a listen? For one, it will greatly reduce the possibility of James coming over to your house, putting headphones on you and playing it to you while you sleep. Plus, you might just enjoy it.On this p
#637 ft. Joaquin Phoenix, Todd Phillips, Kelsey Mann
Love that Joker? If so, you've come to the right place, folks, as this week's Empire Podcast sees Chris Hewitt, our very own clown prince of crime, dig deep into Joker: Folie à Deux (and pronounce the title roughly ten different ways) with its star, Joaquin Phoenix [18:50 - 41:01 approx], and director, Todd Phillips. [1:02:14 - 1:23:07 approx] With Helen O'Hara having made herself scarce so she can watch the original Joker (her favourite film of all time) about a dozen times in preparation for t
#636 ft. Saoirse Ronan & Pappa Essiedu, Josh Greenbaum, Alfred Gough & Miles Millar on Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
It's another jam-packed banger on the Empire Podcast this week, folks, as Chris Hewitt sits down for a triple whammy of interviews. First, there's Saoirse Ronan, star/producer of affecting drama The Outrun, and her co-star Paapa Essiedu, who talk about bonding, improvisation, and shooting on location. [19:13 - 33:45 approx] Then, there's Josh Greenbaum, director of Will & Harper, the excellent documentary that follows Will Ferrell and his writer friend of three decades, Harper Steele, on a cross
#635 ft. Willa Fitzgerald; Carrie Coon, Elizabeth Olsen & Natasha Lyonne
This week's episode of the Empire Podcast comes with an air of carefree celebration, as Chris Hewitt marks his birthday by a) not mentioning his birthday that much, b) interviewing Willa Fitzgerald, star of cracking new thriller Strange Darling, while somehow not actually talking about the movie because it's incredibly hard to talk about without getting into spoiler territory, [23:05 - 40:27 approx] and c) interviewing the powerhouse trio who star in new movie His Three Daughters, Carrie Coon, E
Agatha All Along: An Empire Podcast Preview Special ft. Kathryn Hahn and Jac Schaeffer
Years after she meddled with Wanda Maximoff, sang her own wonderful earworm of a theme song, and waltzed off with WandaVision tucked under her arm, Agatha Harkness is back back back in Agatha All Along, a new nine-part Disney+ MCU show which sees Kathryn Hahn return as Westview's second most powerful witch. Only now she's on the comeback trail and might need help from a brand-new coven. And in this special Empire Podcast preview, the enormously entertaining Hahn and Agatha All Along (and WandaVi
#634 ft. James McAvoy, Kate Winslet, Juliet Stevenson
Is it just us, or has the Empire Podcast got more hat-tricks than Erling Haaland? We have another terrific trio of guests this week, as Alex Godfrey speaks no evil with Speak No Evil, and podcast regular, James McAvoy. [19:49 - 34:40 approx] Then, Amon Warmann has a lovely chat with Kate Winslet, star of Lee (and thanks to Sam Clements for loaning us his podcast mics while Chris was away!). [56:50 - 1:12:15 approx] And finally, we bring you the interview the entire podteam (Chris Hewitt, Helen O
#633 ft. Alicia Vikander, Jude Law, Jeremy Saulnier
It's another hat-trick of wonderful guests on this week's Empire Podcast. Which is good, as there's only two colleagues of such lethal cunning. Due to a combination of work absences, holidays, and general apathy, only Helen O'Hara and James Dyer are on pod-duty this week and, thanks to Jimbo's unfortunate bout of Covid, they're doing it remotely as well. Never fear, though, they still bring the film-related fun as they take a couple of listener questions, discuss the week's movie news (before th
#632 ft. Colman Domingo, Elliot Page & Dominic Savage, Fede Alvarez
This week's episode of the Empire Podcast is — yes, you guessed it — absolutely jam-packed with amazing guests. Alex Godfrey gets to admire Colman Domingo's trophies, and then talk to the great actor about his new movie Sing Sing, which might just add one or two to his shelf. [14:46 - 32:42 approx] Then Beth Webb has a lovely chat with Elliot Page and director Dominic Savage about their new movie, Close To You. [54:56 - 1:12:53 approx] Finally, we bring you a lovely excerpt from our Alien: Romu
The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power — An Empire Podcast Preview Special
One pod to rule them all? This Thursday (August 29) sees the return of Prime Video's epic J.R.R. Tolkien adaptation, The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power, and to mark the occasion we've put together a little preview special, just for you. In it, you'll find an in-depth interview with showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay, in which they tease and tantalise John Nugent about what people can expect from this second season (hint: lots of Sauron), and then a shorter but no less wonderful chat
#631 ft. Jeff Goldblum, Rupert Sanders
This week's episode of the Empire Podcast is jampacked with joy, folks. Guest-wise, we have a big old chunk of the Empire VIP Club live Q&A Chris Hewitt did with Jeff Goldblum, star of new Netflix show KAOS, a short while ago. And it's as gloriously Jeff Goldblumy as you could hope for. [24:13 - 42:52 approx] Chris is also joined this week by Rupert Sanders, the director of the brand new version of The Crow, as they talk about grief, love and wrestling with iconography. [1:05:04 - 1:24:24 approx
#630 ft. Paul Feig, Henry Selick & Teri Hatcher
This week's Empire Podcast sees Chris Hewitt sit down on Zoom with Mr. Fitz, aka Paul Feig, the dapper and debonair director of Bridesmaids, Spy, The Heat and new action-comedy Jackpot!, to talk about working with Awkwafina and John Cena, the difficulties of getting an original movie off the ground, and whether Feig could murder somebody for money. (FYI, Feig's microphone wasn't working as it should for the first six or seven minutes of this interview) [23:34 - 42:47 approx] Then, we bring you a
#629 ft. M. Night Shyamalan & Josh Hartnett, Dafne Keen, Ryan Reynolds & Shawn Levy
This week's Empire Podcast is jam-packed full of goodness, including three tremendous interviews well worth your time. First off, Alex Godfrey sits down with M. Night Shyamalan and Josh Hartnett to discuss their first film together, Trap, and talk about why it's taken them so long to work together. [19:49 - 37:12 approx] Then, Dafne Keen pops into the podbooth to tell Chris Hewitt how her appearance in her new film, [REDACTED], came about. [54:02 - 1:14:53 approx] And finally, we bring you a mea
#628 ft. Joan Chen, Walter Murch
It's Doomsday on the Empire Podcast, folks. In the wake of the bombshell news that Robert Downey Jr. is going to return to the MCU, not as Tony Stark but as the new big bad, Doctor Doom, many of you asked that we record a special podcast dedicated to the news. Sadly, we were unable to do that, but we make up for it on this week's episode, as Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara and Amon Warmann lock themselves in the podbooth and spend much of the movie news section scratching their heads and speculating
#627 ft. Shawn Levy & Joachim Ronning
Let's effin' go! (We're pretty sure we're not allowed to swear in the blurbs, dagnammit!) This week sees the long-awaited release of Deadpool & Wolverine, in which Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman team up for a swear'n'slash session for the ages, and in this week's episode of the Empire Podcast, Chris Hewitt sits down for a lovely non-spoilerific chat with the film's director, Shawn Levy. -22:04 - 39:18 approx] Our other guest is Joachim Ronning, the director of Young Woman And The Sea, which is n
#626 ft. Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones & Anthony Ramos, June Squibb, Lee Isaac Chung
It's another guestapalooza on this week's Empire Podcast, as Chris Hewitt has lovely chats with Twisters stars Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones, and Phizzy Pigtails aficionado Anthony Ramos [19:46 - 35:02 approx], and their director Lee Isaac Chung [1:39:17 - 1:56:06 approx]; and Beth Webb has a lovely audience with the marvellous June Squibb, star of Thelma (there are sound issues for the first couple of minutes, but they're quickly resolved). [1:01:03 - 1:13:59 approx] Then, Chris is joined in t
#625 ft. Maika Monroe, Griffin Dunne
This week's Empire Podcast has another brace of cracking guests, as Maika Monroe returns to the show to talk about her terrifying new horror film, Longlegs [25:43 - 39:01 approx], and inadvertently inspires Chris Hewitt to launch the Empire Podcast Hall Of Fame for repeat guests. Meanwhile, making his debut on the pod is the great Griffin Dunne, star of An American Werewolf In London and After Hours, who sits down with Chris in the podbooth to talk about his memoir, The Friday Afternoon Club: A
#624 ft. Mia Goth
Maxxxine marks the conclusion of Ti West's horror trilogy that began with X, and continued with the prequel Pearl. Co-stars come and co-stars go, in a bloody fashion more often than not, but Mia Goth is at the centre of all three, as porn star-turned-Final Girl Maxine and elderly psycho killer Pearl in X, a younger Pearl in the prequel, and now an older Maxine, who finds herself the target of a shadowy killer on the streets of mid-80s Los Angeles. And in this week's Empire Podcast, Chris Hewitt
#623 ft. Michael Sarnoski, Jesse Plemons & Yorgos Lanthimos, Adil & Bilall
We're back in the multi-guest business with this week's episode of the Empire Podcast, folks. First, Ben Travis has a very hushed Zoom chat with A Quiet Place: Day One director, Michael Sarnoski. [22:46 - 40:44 approx] Then, Sophie Butcher talks to Kinds Of Kindness director and star duo, Yorgos Lanthimos and Jesse Plemons. [1:00:42 - 1:15:24 approx] And, finally, we bring you an excerpt from our Bad Boys: Ride Or Die spoiler special interview with that film's directors, Adil & Bilall, in which
#622 — Jeff Nichols
Vroom vroom! This week's episode of the Empire Podcast is something of a rarity, as we only have one guest. But what a guest it is, as Jeff Nichols, director of Take Shelter, Midnight Special and Mud, tells Helen O'Hara all about working with motorcycles and movie stars on his new movie, The Bikeriders. Then, in the podbooth, Chris Hewitt hosts and is joined by Helen, James Dyer and Amon Warmann for another fun episode in which they discuss which movies deserve to have their visual effects overh
#621 — Richard Linklater, Stephen Fry
This week's episode of the Empire Podcast invites you to settle into a pair of cracking interviews — first, Ben Travis has a sit-down [22:48 - 42:49 approx] with Richard Linklater, director of the excellent Hit Man (now on Netflix), then Chris Hewitt has a bonny time with the wonderfully loquacious Stephen Fry, star of this week's drama, Treasure. [1:06:39 - 1:26:31 approx] By the way, Fry quotes a movie at one point, and we could give you a thousand guesses and we reckon you'd still not get it.
#620 — Jerry Bruckheimer, M. Night Shyamalan & Ishana Night Shyamalan, Viggo Mortensen
It's another bumper, jam-packed edition of the Empire Podcast this week, folks, with four wonderful guests. First, legendary producer Jerry Bruckheimer, who has both Young Woman And The Sea and Bad Boys: Ride Or Die in cinemas right now, shares some of the secrets of his success with Alex Godfrey. [21:13 - 38:36 approx] Then, John Nugent has an audience with the Shyamalans — Ishana Night Shyamalan, writer and director of new horror, The Watched (aka The Watchers in the States), and her producer/
An Empire Podcast Preview Special: The Acolyte ft. Leslye Headland, Amandla Stenberg, Dafne Keen, Charlie Barnett, Lee Jung-jae, Manny Jacinto
The Acolyte is the latest Star Wars live-action show to hit Disney+ (its first two episodes, out of eight, drop on June 5th), and promises to be one of the most exciting additions yet to that galaxy far, far away. Part murder mystery, part exploration of the High Republic and a time when the Jedi were in their pomp, and the Sith were just beginning to rise again, Leslye Headland's show has a lot going on. And in this special preview episode, Ben Travis talks to Headland and her lead, Amandla Ste
#619 — Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver, Daisy Ridley
The Empire Podcast delivers yet another cracker this week, folks. Guest-wise, Chris Hewitt has a lovely Zoom chat with Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver, the husband-wife screenwriting team who have become the producers and custodians of the Planet Of The Apes franchise. Here, Chris chats to the pair about how they revived the Apes franchise, how they became a partnership with The Hand That Rocks The Cradle, and their time working on Avatar sequels with James Cameron. [26:10 - 44:53 approx] Then, Dai
#618 — George Miller
On this week's episode of the Empire Podcast, the doctor is in. Doctor George Miller, that is, as the MD turned visionary director returns to the big screen with his latest slice of post-apocalyptic madness, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. So, naturally, our Chris Hewitt went along and had a big old chat with Dr. George, as we're reliably informed they call him in Australia, and we bring you the full version of that engrossing interview. [46:15 - 1:14:25 approx) Then, Chris is joined in the podbooth by
#617 — John Krasinski, Ben Schwartz
This week's episode of the Empire Podcast asks the question: 'what if an interview started off the rails and went from there?' And answers it with a tremendously fun and, at times, utterly chaotic, interview between our Chris Hewitt and John Krasinski, writer/director/star of new fantasy movie IF. To listen to the most expensive interview of all time, go to 23:18 (approx). More fun and chaos can be found in our other interview this week [1:06:32 - 1:21:52 approx), as Chris sits down on Zoom with
Ben Schwartz: An Empire Podcast Interview Special
Ben Schwartz isn't just a terrifically funny actor (he's Jean-Ralphio in Parks & Rec, for the love of Pete!), insanely gifted VoiceOver artist (he's the voice of Sonic, for the love of Knuckles!), writer (he helped write dialogue for C-3PO in J.J. Abrams' Star Wars movies, for the love of Babu Frik!) and all-round geek. He's also one of the greatest improvisational comedians on the planet, and he's bringing his incredible improv show, Ben Schwartz And Friends, to the Royal Albert Hall in London
#616 — Josh O'Connor, Owen Teague, Freya Allan & Kevin Durand, Michael Lindsay-Hogg
Another guestapalooza on this week's Empire Podcast, folks! First up, Chris Hewitt has a lovely chat with Josh O'Connor — not about his talk-of-the-town tennis movie, Challengers, but his new film, Alice Rorhwacher's La Chimera, for which O'Connor learned Italian and, effectively, manifested into his life by way of a letter. [20:12 - 35:25 approx] Then, Dan Jolin, our very own Planet Of The Apes expert, sits down with Owen Teague, Freya Allan, and Kevin Durand, the lead trio of the new movie, Ki
Sands Film Festival 2024 Special ft. Joe & Anthony Russo, Debra Zane, Alan Silvestri & Ania Trzebiatowska
The St. Andrews International Film Festival — or Sands, for short — is now in its third year, bringing some amazing films and filmmakers to the beautiful Scottish town of St. Andrews. It's already something of a tradition for the Empire Podcast's Chris Hewitt to pop up there and have a natter with some of those filmmakers, including Joe Russo, who is one of the festival's chief benefactors. This year, Joe brought his brother Anthony with him for a special screening of Welcome To Collinwood and a
#615 — Rose Glass, Winston Duke
It's another cracking episode of the Empire Podcast, folks, as Rose Glass, director of Love Lies Bleeding, becomes the first guest to pop into our brand new studio, as she tells Sophie Butcher all about the brilliant and bizarre thriller that is her follow-up to Saint Maud. And Chris Hewitt has a fun and frank chat with the wonderful Winston Duke, star of The Fall Guy, in which they talk about stunts, sponsorship, and a poignant moment that almost made it into Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Eit
#614 — Mike Faist, Kerry Condon
This week's episode of the Empire Podcast is a smash, folks. First off, Alex Godfrey talks to ace actor Mike Faist, star of Luca Guadagnino's new tennis movie, Challengers [23:12 - 37:33 approx.], and then Chris Hewitt has a Zoom session (apologies if the sound is slightly distorted — tech issues) with Kerry Condon, Oscar-nominated star of The Banshees Of Inisherin, voice of F.R.I.D.A.Y. in the MCU, and star of this week's Liam Neeson thriller, In The Lands Of Saints And Sinners. [57:25 - 1:15:2
#613 — Dan Stevens, Ed Skrein & Fra Fee, Alex Garland
Phew! After last week's single-guest situation, we're back to our bumper-sized best on this week's Empire Podcast. One of our favourite interviewees, Dan Stevens, returns to the pod after a brief hiatus, to tell Chris Hewitt all about his new film, Abigail, and his all-timer of a character intro in Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire. Warning: Chris and Dan also discuss the origin of Dan's true character name in Abigail, which some might consider a mild spoiler. So be careful! Chris also has a lovel
#612 — Marisa Abela
This week's episode of the Empire Podcast is perhaps less jam-packed and bumper-sized than normal, as we only have one guest. But what a guest, as Marisa Abela — terrific as Amy Winehouse in Sam Taylor-Johnson's Back To Black, the biopic of the iconic singer — talks to Chris Hewitt about the role, from the moment she got it to the gift she received at wrap. That can be found from 45:15 - 1:03:23 (approx). Then, in the brand new podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and Alex Godf
#611 — Jordan Peele, Rufus Sewell & Philip Martin, Nell Tiger Free & Bill Nighy
This week's Empire Podcast has more guests than the Overlook Hotel, all chatting to Chris Hewitt about their new movies. First, producer Jordan Peele tells Chris why he was so taken by Dev Patel's directorial debut, Monkey Man, that he came on board to help it get a theatrical release. Plus, they also talk why Peele is no longer acting. [15:40 - 30:56 approx] Then, Rufus Sewell — who plays Prince Andrew in Scoop, a film based on the infamous 2019 Newsnight interview with Emily Maitlis — and dire
#610 — Cynthia Erivo, Luke Evans
This week's episode of the Empire Podcast is brought to you by the letter E, as Cynthia Erivo and Luke Evans join Chris Hewitt to talk about their new projects. First up, Erivo talks about her astonishing performance in Drift, which she also produced, and in particular one harrowing scene, and its impact upon her. It's an incredibly intense and honest interview and it can be found from 24:11 - 38:18 (approx). Then Evans returns to the pod after a long absence to talk about his role in Our Son, i
#609 — Sydney Sweeney, David Dastmalchian, Ernie Hudson
Halloween isn't for another few months, but this week's Empire Podcast delivers a hat-trick of horrors nonetheless, as Chris Hewitt has spooky sitdowns on Zoom with the stars of three scary fillums that are all out this week. First, Sydney Sweeney, star and producer of nun-more-black horror, Immaculate, talks about sticking the landing and possession. [21:24 - 37:37 approx] Then, David Dastmalchian, star of stylish found footage shocker, Late Night With The Devil, dials in from his trailer in To
#608 — Ethan Coen & Tricia Cooke, Phillip Noyce
While we're waiting patiently for Joel and Ethan Coen to reunite as the filmmaking entity known as the Coen Brothers, can we interest you in the Coen Brother and Sister-in-Law? For Ethan Coen and his wife, Tricia Cooke, have teamed up to make the rambunctious road trip comedy, Drive Away Dolls, and on this week's episode they tell John Nugent about how they did it, and poke fun at his Star Wars toys. [25:34 - 40:09 approx.] We're also joined by another great filmmaker this week, as Phillip Noyce
#607 — Robin Wright, DeWanda Wise
This week's episode of the Empire Podcast sees Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara and James Dyer cram into the podbooth just minutes after returning to London from a live show in Norwich, which was part of the pod's March tour (tickets still available for Sheffield, Dublin, and Salford via empireonline.com/podtour!). And, despite their exhaustion, they throw themselves into a fun episode that involves a deep dive into the filmographies of every actor who's played The Doctor in Doctor Who, an in-depth di
Talking About The Star Wars Prequels: An Empire Podcast Special
The new issue of Empire — on sale now at all good, evil and intergalactic newsagents — is something of a celebration of 25 years of the Star Wars prequels, George Lucas' trilogy of movies that began with The Phantom Menace in 1999 and concluded with Revenge Of The Sith, Order 66 and all that, in 2005. Since then, the prequels have generated more debate among Star Wars fans than pretty much anything else you care to name, something that is very much the case in this special podcast episode, as Ch
#606 — Josh Brolin, Adam Sandler & Paul Dano
This week's episode of the Empire Podcast is perfectly balanced, as all things should be. In the first half, Chris Hewitt sits down with ol' Thanos himself, aka the one and only Josh Brolin, for a wide-ranging conversation that takes in birthday parties, Brolin's growth as an actor, his aversion to compliments, and his return as the indefatigable Gurney Halleck in Denis Villeneuve's Dune Part Two, which opens this week (21:56 - 41:02 approx). Chris then ticks another one off his bucket list by h
FX's Shōgun: An Empire & Pilot TV Podcast Special, In Association With Disney+
There can be only one thing more exciting than James Clavell’s Shōgun getting a brand new TV adaptation on Disney+, and that’s a special Pilot TV/Empire crossover podcast recorded to mark the occasion! Join Chris Hewitt, James Dyer and Nick de Semlyen as they get together to talk all things Japanese, Nick’s epic read of Clavell’s 1300 page book, and the pros and cons of ninja-themed restaurants. What’s more, James sits down with showrunners Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks to talk about bringing E
#605 — Jessica Chastain & Peter Sarsgaard, Wim Wenders, Fernando Meirelles
It's another jam-packed episode of the Empire Podcast this week, folks. Our guest cup certainly overfloweth, as Olly Richards sits down on Zoom with Memory stars Jessica Chastain and Peter Sarsgaard (21:17 - 37:40 approx.), Ian Freer talks Kurosawa, Columbo, German goalkeepers and Japanese toilets with the legendary director Wim Wenders (58:36 - 1:14:11 approx), and Dan Jolin gushes liberally all over City Of God in a 21st anniversary re-release chat with that film's director, Fernando Meirelles
#604 — Kingsley Ben-Adir, Tahar Rahim
This week's Empire Podcast brings you a double bill of wonderful actors, nattering away about their latest projects. How lovely. First up, Kingsley Ben-Adir talks to Amon Warmann about Bob Marley: One Love, the film that shines the spotlight on two pivotal years in the life of the legendary reggae singer, Bob Marley, and the madness of being part of Greta Gerwig's Barbie. (22-46.00 - 41:52.00) And Chris Hewitt has a lovely talk with Tahar Rahim, star of Madame Web, about finally saying yes to Ho
#603 — Jeffrey Wright, Sean Durkin & Zac Efron
Another week, another packed episode of the Empire Podcast, and once again we're joined by some cracking guests. First, Jeffrey Wright, the freshly Oscar-nominated star of American Fiction, joins Chris Hewitt to talk about that movie, his working practices, the film's unusual original title, and more. (30:37 - 48:53)Then Alex Godfrey sits down on Zoom with The Iron Claw director, Sean Durkin, and his star Zac Efron, for a chat about wrestling, big arms, and big hearts. (1:08:47 - 1:22:35, approx
#602 — Henry Cavill & Sam Rockwell, Kumail Nanjiani
The greater the spy movie, the bigger the guests. That's the motto of this week's Empire Podcast, as Chris Hewitt sits down with Henry Cavill and Sam Rockwell, stars of Matthew Vaughn's new spy caper Argylle, for a fun chat about dancing, fighting, and novelists. (23:46 - 40:04) Chris is also joined by the wonderful Kumail Nanjiani, who returns to the pod to talk about his strange year of strikes, and becoming a duck for the new Illumination movie, Migration (1:02:52 - 1:17:16). Then, Chris is j
Cartoon Saloon: An Empire Podcast Special
We love the Irish animation studio, Cartoon Saloon, at Empire. And we're not alone — the Kilkenny-based marvels behind the likes of Song Of The Sea, Wolfwalkers, and The Secret Of Kells recently had a BFI season devoted to their exploits, and to mark the beginning of their 25th anniversary. And in this very special edition of the Empire Podcast, Helen O'Hara sits down on Zoom with Cartoon Saloon's head honchos, Tomm Moore, Nora Twomey, and Paul Young, to talk about their unique philosophy and ap
#601 — Blitz Bazawule, Paul Giamatti & Alexander Payne, Andrew Scott & Paul Mescal
After last week's triumphant live show to mark episode 600, the Empire Podcast team — Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and Amon Warmann — return to the safety of the podbooth this week to kick off the road to 700... but we're not exactly skimping on the guests. First, Blitz Bazawule, director of The Colour Purple, tells Helen all about how he tackled the big-screen version of the musical based on the Alice Walker book. Then, Chris has an audience with The Holdovers director Alexander Payn
#600 (Live At Kings Place, London) — Tom Hiddleston, Mia McKenna-Bruce, Ray Winstone
Another landmark live show for the Empire Podcast saw a capacity crowd cram themselves into Hall One at our spiritual home of Kings Place, London, to celebrate Episode 600. And we brought along some exceptional star guests as well, as Tom Hiddleston — Loki himself — popped in for an extended chat about the God Of Mischief, and other animals, with Chris Hewitt; Mia McKenna-Bruce, the star of How To Have Sex and newly-minted BAFTA Rising Star Award nominee, chatted to Beth Webb about Robert De Nir
#599 — George Clooney & Callum Turner, Kevin Hart & Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and Dan Levy
We have a veritable guestapalooza this week as George Clooney and Callum Turner join us to talk The Boys In The Boat, Kevin Hart and Gugu Mbatha-Raw give us the lowdown on F. Gary Gray's heist movie Lift, and Dan Levy chats about his directorial debut Good Grief.Other than that, it's another fireside chat with just Helen and James this week as they mull over numerically titled films, shake their heads at the Golden Globes, and wade through an incredibly busy week for movie news. And that's befor
Echo Preview Special ft. Sydney Freeland
Echo, the latest Marvel Cinematic Universe show to debut on Disney+, continues the story of Maya Lopez, the deaf, Native American vigilante whom we met back in Hawkeye. And in this very special preview interview with Sydney Freeland, the Navajo filmmaker who is one of the show's directors, Chris Hewitt discovers just what we can expect from this five-episode limited series, in which Maya comes face to face with her past, and with two familiar faces in the shape of Charlie Cox's Daredevil and the
#598 — Joel Edgerton, JA Bayona
Happy New Year! With just two shows until 600, The Empire podcast crashes back into your feeds this week. Well, two thirds of it does because Chris is on holiday, leaving Helen and James to hold down the fort. And by that we mean have a cosy fireside discussion about all the fantasy books they devoured over Christmas, along with assorted stories of New Year's Eve shenanigans. But none of that matters because we have the one and only JA Bayona on this week's show, the director stopping by to talk
#597 — Michael Fassbender, Adam Driver
The final Empire Podcast of 2023 is here, folks, and it's a belter, with two incredible guests. First up, Michael Fassbender returns to the pod after an absence of a few years, and in an extended interview with Chris Hewitt, he talks about returning to the big screen with the double-whammy of David Fincher's The Killer and Taika Waititi's Next Goal Wins. Plus, he talks about going to Anfield, home of Liverpool Football Club, for that game against Barcelona in 2019, shares his love of The Streets
Review Of The Year 2023: An Empire Podcast Special
Merry Christmas, you filthy animals! Here's a little Christmas bonus for you all: the Empire Podcast's Review Of The Year. 2023 (for that is the year in question) was a year that gave us so much, cinematically speaking, from Barbenheimer to Empire's official number one film, Past Lives, and everything in-between, including the first signs of weakness in the previously invulnerable Marvel Cinematic Universe. And, in this near three-hour special, Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and Ben Tra
#596 — Rosamund Pike, Bradley Cooper & Carey Mulligan
The last Empire Podcast before Christmas brings you a pair of lovely interviews as our gift to you: first, Mike Muncer sits down on Zoom with Rosamund Pike to talk about class warfare and the challenges of starring in Emerald Fennell's Saltburn, which is now streaming on Prime Video. Then, Chris Hewitt has a lovely audience with Bradley Cooper and Carey Mulligan, stars of Maestro, Cooper's second film as director. Either side of those, Chris is joined in the virtual podbooth by Helen O'Hara and
#595 — Mark Wahlberg and Michelle Monaghan, Zachary Levi
"Say hi to your family for me!" Mark Wahlberg, star of the action comedy The Family Plan, returns to the Empire Podcast for the first time in aaaaaaages this week, and brings his on-screen wife, Michelle Monaghan, with him for a fun chat with Chris Hewitt that takes in everything from kids swearing in front of their parents to Adele's impact on Wahlberg's sleep cycle. Chris is also in the interviewer's chair for a fun audience with Zachary Levi, the star of Chicken Run: Dawn Of The Nugget. And,
Cillian Murphy and Emily Blunt on Oppenheimer: An Empire Podcast Interview Special
Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer is one of the biggest and best films of the year, and in this very special episode of the Empire Podcast, Chris Hewitt sits down for an audience with its stars, Cillian Murphy, who stars as J. Robert Oppenheimer, the father of the atomic bomb, and Emily Blunt, who plays his redoubtable wife, Kitty. In a fun and free-wheeling chat, the Oppenheimers talk about working with Nolan, reading the screenplay for the first time, adjusting to their characters, and much, muc
#594 — Timothée Chalamet & Keegan-Michael Key, Jeff Rowe
On this week's Empire Podcast, Timmy Two Meats returns, only this time he's... Timmy Two Sweets? Yes, Timothée Chalamet, the star of Paul King's wonderful Wonka, is back on the pod, and this time he's brought his co-star, the wickedly talented Keegan-Michael Key, with him. Together, they talk to Chris Hewitt about musicals, sketches, and their friendship. Then, with the release of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem on shiny disc, Ben Travis has a nice natter with that film's director, J
#593 — Richard Curtis, William Oldroyd & Thomasin McKenzie, Riz Ahmed & Jessie Buckley
It's another guest-packed jamboree on this week's Empire Podcast, folks. First, Chris Hewitt asks Richard Curtis about revisiting his BBC Christmas classic, Bernard & The Genie, as the new Sky Cinema film, Genie. Chris also chats with William Oldroyd, director of the new thriller Eileen, and his star, Thomasin McKenzie. And then Amon Warmann Zooms in for a lovely natter with Fingernails stars, Riz Ahmed and Jessie Buckley. We really do spoil you lot. And either side of all those is another f
#592 — Jon Batiste & Matthew Heineman, Joaquin Phoenix & Vanessa Kirby, Jennifer Lee
It's another jam-packed episode of the Empire Podcast this week, folks. First, Chris Hewitt sits down on Zoom with ace composer and musician, Jon Batiste, and Matthew Heineman, about their new documentary, American Symphony; then he battles an uncooperative microphone stand and emerges with an enormously fun interview with Napoleon stars, Joaquin Phoenix and Vanessa Kirby; and lastly two walking Disney encyclopaedias meet, as our Ben Travis sits down with Jennifer Lee, the writer of this week's
#591 — Rachel Zegler & Tom Blyth, Lily Gladstone, Tom Hiddleston
Can you tell the SAG-AFTRA strike is over after several long months, folks? We sure can, because the Empire Podcast this week was besieged by big-name Hollywood actor-types, all keen to appear on the podcast after months of walking up and down outside studios with picket signs. First up, the wonderful Rachel Zegler returns to the pod to talk to Sophie Butcher about starring in the Hunger Games prequel, The Ballad Of Songbirds and Snakes, and brings her British co-star, Tom Blyth, with her. Then,
#590 (live from Leeds) — Gareth Evans, Nia DaCosta
This week's Empire Podcast is up later than usual, for which we apologise most sincerely, but we're hopeful that it will be worth the wait. It's a very special live episode, recorded on Thursday night at Leeds Trinity University as part of their Journalism & Media Week, and saw Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara and James Dyer travel to Horsforth in Leeds to have a ton of film-related fun in front of an audience of Empire Podcast listeners and media students. But that's not all — the brilliant Garet
A Celebration Of Powell & Pressburger ft. Thelma Schoonmaker & Kevin Macdonald
A Matter Of Life And Death. The Red Shoes. Black Narcissus. The Tales Of Hoffmann. The Small Back Room. The Life And Death Of Colonel Blimp. I Know Where I'm Going. We could just fill this blurb box by simply listing the films of Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger, the filmmaking duo who might just be British cinema's greatest double act, but we won't. Instead, we'll tell you that their work is currently being celebrated in an amazing nationwide BFI retrospective called Cinema Unbound (chec
#589 — Emma Seligman, Kitty Green, Patrick Stewart
Blimey, it's another cracking line-up on this week's Empire Podcast, as first Sophie Butcher chats with Bottoms director Emma Seligman about female fight clubs and improv; Chris Hewitt talks to The Royal Hotel director, Kitty Green, about her excellent drama set in the Australian Outback (and yes, there's a question about snakes); and finally there's an excerpt from Chris' interview with the legendary Sir Patrick Stewart, who talks about writing his memoir, Making It So. (The full version of thi
#588 — Eddie Izzard, Matt Johnson, Greta Gerwig
It's not so much a hat-trick of amazing guests on this week's Empire Podcast, more a hat-treat as our bumper-sized Halloween edition brings you, tucked away at the episode's end (should you wish to skip there immediately), Ben Travis' warm and wonderful chat with Greta Gerwig, director of the year's biggest movie, Barbie, just in time to mark its release on home entertainment. Plus, Alex Godfrey catches up with Matt Johnson, director of the brilliant Blackberry, and Chris Hewitt talks Hammer and
#587 — Richard Armitage, Errol Morris, Garth Davis
Another week, another episode of the Empire Podcast, another bumper crop of incredible guests. First, we bring you the enormously fun Richard Armitage interview that was recorded live at our recent London Podcast Festival show, where he talked to Chris Hewitt about becoming an author with his debut novel, Geneva (on sale now, fact fans). That runs from 23:21.00 - 45:51.00 (approx.) Then, Chris talks to the legendary documentarian, Errol Morris (1:03:32.00 - 1:20:20.00), about his John Le Carre d
#586 — Randall Park
This week's Empire Podcast would have been a lot longer had we kept in all the bits where Chris Hewitt was coughing. Needless to say, we cut (most) of them out (probably), leaving instead another fine and fun episode in which Chris is joined in the studio by James Dyer and Helen O'Hara, thus putting them at risk of infection. Thankfully, none of them turn into mindless zombies (how could we tell?) as they discuss the week's news, including the sad passing of Terence Davies, Kevin Costner's big-s
London Film Festival 2023 Special ft. Michael Winterbottom and Randall Park
The London Film Festival — one of the greatest festivals in the world, and we're not just saying that because it's right on our doorstep and we can see a film and still be home in time for a combo of cocoa and Columbo — is back back back, folks, and to celebrate we are once again bringing you a special episode of the Empire Podcast. This one is a little different, in that it features two brief interviews with Michael Winterbottom and Randall Park, two directors who both have films at the festiva
585 — David Gordon Green, Chloe Domont, Wes Anderson
Another hat-trick of directors on this week's beautifully-designed, utterly symmetrical Empire Podcast, folks. First, Ben Travis says what a marvellous day for a chat with David Gordon Green, director of The Exorcist: Believer. Then, Beth Webb (yes, actual Beth Webb, back on the podcast!) chats with Chloe Domont, the writer/director of the savage relationship drama, Fair Play. And then John Nugent travels to Venice to have a chat with the one and only Wes Anderson — who was wearing pyjamas monog
Loki Season 2 PreView Special ft. Kevin R. Wright and Dan DeLeeuw
Loki who's back! Yes, it's Tom Hiddleston's God Of Mischief, back for another season of melon-melting misadventures with the time-hopping TVA. And in this very special preview of Loki season 2, Chris Hewitt sits down on Zoom with the show's executive producer, Kevin R. Wright, and Marvel visual effects legend-turned-director Dan DeLeeuw to talk about Loki's arc, the show's unique aesthetic, new characters, and more. This is a preview episode, and we're very mindful of spoilers, so this should be
Drunk Women Empire (Live At The London Podcast Festival 2023)
We love the London Podcast Festival — held every year at our spiritual home of Kings Place, London — so much that this year we did not one, but TWO podcasts there. The first, aka The Artist Also Known As Episode 581, is already up for your listening pleasure, but we're very excited and proud to bring you the second, which is the mash-up episode the Empire Podcast team — Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, and James Dyer — recorded with the brilliant ladies of the Drunk Women Solving Crime podcast. That'
#584 — John Carney, Gareth Edwards, Craig Gillespie
It's another jam-packed episode of the Empire Podcast this week, as Chris Hewitt chats to three very different directors, and learns a lot about them (and himself) along the way. First up is John Carney, the Irish director of ultra-charming musical comedy-dramas like Sing Street and his new movie, Flora & Son, who tells Chris all about his first guitar, focusing on his childhood, and directing Eve Hewson in the title role. Then Gareth Edwards, who makes a triumphant return this week with new
#583 — Mike Birbiglia, Brian Duffield
This week's episode of the Empire Podcast sees comedian, actor, writer, director and future King of England, Mike Birbiglia, drop by the podbooth to have an extended, but very funny, natter with Chris Hewitt about Birbiglia's one-man show, The Old Man And The Pool, which is on now at the Wyndham's Theatre in London. They talk about that, about Mike's attempts to crack Ireland, about his movie Don't Think Twice (from 2016), and more. Then Chris is joined on Zoom by Brian Duffield, the writer/dire
#582 — Pablo Larraín
They say you should never invite a vampire into your home, because then they can come and go as they please, without even stopping to do the dishes. But what if you invite the director of a vampire movie into your podcast? Well, frankly, Pablo Larrain, the brilliant Chilean director of Jackie, No, and Spencer is welcome to drop into the podbooth any time after this week's episode, in which Chris Hewitt invites him to sit down and natter all about his new movie, El Conde, in which the Chilean dir
#581 (live from the London Podcast Festival) — Celine Song, Daniel Pemberton
This week's Empire Podcast is a little late, folks, for which we apologise. But we have an exceptionally good excuse — we didn't actually record it until Saturday night, when Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and Ben Travis took to the stage of Kings Place's Hall One, in front of a crowd of around 350 loyal listeners, as part of this year's London Podcast Festival. And this is that show, in which our intrepid quartet bravely tackle an almost comical lack of movie news, review Celine Song's
#580 — Antoine Fuqua, Ira Sachs
This week's Empire Podcast sees the arrival of Chris Hewitt's pre-beloved The Equalizer 3, and that film's director, the delightfully sweary Antoine Fuqua, joins Chris to talk about that film, about the challenges of getting Denzel Washington to ride a horse (not for this film), and ultra-violence on the big screen. With blood and gore already covered off, our other guest, Passages writer/director Ira Sachs, talks about the challenges of shooting sex scenes, and battling censorship, for his new
#579 — Harris Dickinson, Nick Lieberman, Juel Taylor
Another Empire Podcast, another trio of terrific guests. The wonderful young British actor Harris Dickinson joins us once again, and tells Chris Hewitt all about his new movie, Scrapper, and his cinema-going preferences (24:24 - 39:20). Then Sophie Butcher Zooms in for a chat with Theater Camp (yes, that's the American spelling; no, we're not happy about it) co-director, Nick Lieberman (1:03:44 - 1:20:07). And then that Hewitt fella is back in his sister's kitchen once again for a chat with Juel
#578 — Alex Winter, Angel Manuel Soto, Phil Lord & Chris Miller
Well, look at that: just in time for the Women's World Cup final this weekend, the Empire Podcast scores a hat-trick of lovely guests. (Well, four actually, which is even better!) Chris Hewitt may be off this week, but he continues to haunt the podcast by conducting two of those interviews, a chat about the impact of YouTube with Alex Winter, former Bill and current director of thought-provoking new documentary, The YouTube Effect, and then a fun and insightful talk about Blue Beetle with that f
#577 — Gal Gadot & Alia Bhatt, Justin Simien
This week's Empire Podcast sees Gal Gadot and Alia Bhatt, stars of the new Netflix blockbuster Heart Of Stone, sit down for a lovely chat with Amon Warmann, in which they talk about the dangers of A.I., and Gadot's recent cameo in a major blockbuster. No, not that one. No, not that one either. Amon then hangs around for the episode's other interview, with Haunted Mansion director Justin Simien. And then, in the virtual pod booth, Chris Hewitt hosts and is joined by Helen O'Hara and John Nugent f
#576 — Ben Wheatley
This week's episode of the Empire Podcast puts the 'Meg' in mega, as Ben Wheatley returns to the podcast to talk about his new film, Meg 2: The Trench. This interview, conducted by Chris Hewitt immediately after our Empire VIP Club screening of the film earlier in the week, is a ton of fin-related fun, with Wheatley talking about how he came to direct a film that is unlike anything else on his filmography, emerging from Spielberg's shadow, and working with The Stath. It all starts around the 55-
#575 — Danny Philippou
Talk to me, Goose! This week sees the release of eagerly-anticipated Australian horror movie, Talk To Me, and Sophie Butcher gets to talk to Talk To Me co-director (along with his brother, Michael), Danny Philippou. Then Sophie is joined in the podbooth by Helen O'Hara and the returning Chris Hewitt, who slides back into the host chair after a brief absence and promptly drags everyone down to his level. The trio talk about their recent moviegoing experiences, including Chris' very own Barbenheim
#574 — Laura McGann, Christopher Nolan
Did you know that Christopher Nolan has a new movie out this week? You would be forgiven for missing it, because we've seen absolutely no coverage of it anywhere. Ahem. Anyway, the film is Oppenheimer, the story of the tortured genius who shepherded the atomic bomb into existence, and on this week's episode Alex Godfrey talks to Nolan about that movie, avoiding the biopic label, David Bowie, and more. Our other guest is Irish documentarian Laura McGann, who talks to Chris Hewitt about her new mo
Previewing FX's The Bear S2: An Empire Podcast Special, In Association With Disney+
HANDS! CORNER! BEHIND! Those three words can mean only one thing: one of our favourite shows, FX's The Bear, is back for its second season, and that's an occasion so momentous that the Empire Podcast and Pilot TV Podcast teams have once again joined forces to wax lyrical about it (in association with Disney+). Join Chris Hewitt, James Dyer, and Kay 'The Bear' Ribeiro as they talk about what they loved about the first season of Christopher Storer's Emmy-nominated comedy-drama, look ahead to seaso
#573 — Simon Pegg & Rebecca Ferguson
Light the fuse! This week sees the long-long-long-long-awaited release of Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One, Tom Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie's epic latest addition to the action franchise, and Chris Hewitt chats to two of the IMF's finest, Simon 'Benji Dunn' Pegg and Rebecca 'Ilsa Faust' Ferguson, in a fun interview that touches upon how they coped with the film's incredibly long shoot. Then, with Chris off somewhere editing the first part of our Mission spoiler special chat wit
#572 — Leah Lewis & Mamoudou Athie; Hayley Atwell
This week's episode of the Empire Podcast sees things get elemental as Chris Hewitt has an engrossing chat with the stars of the new Pixar movie, Leah Lewis and Mamoudou Athie. Then things get a little sillier as he sits down with Hayley Atwell, who is a welcome addition to the Mission: Impossible franchise in Dead Reckoning Part One, which opens here on Monday. It's a spoiler-free interview, in which they talk about how Atwell got to grips with her character Grace, about her memories of shootin
#571 — Kathleen Kennedy & Frank Marshall; Eddie Hamilton
This week sees the return (for, sadly, the final time) of everyone's favourite adventurer, Henry Jones Jr., in Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny, and along with Harrison Ford and John Williams, producers Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall have been with Indy every step of the way from Raiders Of The Lost Ark (the movie on which they met, setting them on the path to getting married). And in this week's Empire Podcast, they sit down with Chris Hewitt for an extended chat that touches upon eve
#570 — Adrien Brody, Jeffrey Wright, Bryan Cranston
Wes Anderson's new film, Asteroid City, has so many incredible actors in it that we were able to send John Nugent to the Cannes Film Festival recently, steal three of them away for interview purposes, and put them back before anyone even noticed. So, in this week's episode of the (soon to be award-losing once again) Empire Podcast, you can hear that fun interview with old hands Adrien Brody, Bryan Cranston and Jeffrey Wright. Then, in the podbooth, Chris Hewitt is joined by James Dyer and Amon W
Britt Ekland on The Wicker Man 50th Anniversary: An Empire Podcast Interview Special
The Wicker Man (the film, not the terrifying, flammable wooden figure) turns 50 this year, and to celebrate it's being re-released in UK cinemas for one day only, on June 21st. And to celebrate that, in this interview special Chris Hewitt sits down with the legendary Britt Ekland, who plays Willow in Robin Hardy and Anthony Shaffer's classic folk horror, and talks about her troubled relationship with the film and her treatment during/after it, how that relationship has healed over the years, bec
#569 — Alice Lowe, Michael Keaton
Where do we get those wonderful guests? This week's Empire Podcast brings you the audio from our recent Empire VIP Club Q&A with the one, the only Michael Keaton, on the occasion of his return to the role of Batman in Andy Muschietti's The Flash. Hear Keaton talk to Alex Godfrey about why he signed on to play Batman for Tim Burton, coming up with that voice, and the fun he's having reteaming with Burton on Beetlejuice 2, and then sign up to the Empire VIP Club, why don't you, so you can experien
The Full Monty: An Empire & Pilot TV Podcast Special, In Association With Disney+
25 years after it became (for quite a spell) the biggest film of all time at the UK box office, The Full Monty is back with an eight-part limited series, streaming now on Disney+. Writer Simon Beaufoy has reassembled the original cast for a show that goes The Full Monty on the current state of the nation, with Gaz (Robert Carlyle) and chums navigating their way through a series of misadventures that shine a spotlight on everything from the education system to the NHS. In this, the latest collabo
#568 — Kelvin Harrison Jr., Eva Longoria, Anthony Ramos & Dominique Fishback
Another jam-packed edition of the freshly award-losing Empire Podcast this week, folks, with three separate interviews, and four incredible guests. First, Chevalier star Kelvin Harrison Jr. talks French accents and violins with Neel Bhatt (making his pod interview debut!). Then, Eva Longoria — director of Flamin' Hot and possessor of one of the best laughs in the business — sits down on Zoom with James White to talk about her feature film directorial debut. And then Chris Hewitt is visited in st
Groundhog Day The Musical Interview Special ft. Tim Minchin, Danny Rubin & Matthew Warchus
That's right, woodchuck-checkers, it's Groundhog Day Day! The sensational musical adaptation of the beloved Harold Ramis-Bill Murray comedy is now back on the London stage at The Old Vic, and in this interview special Chris Hewitt sits down with Danny Rubin, writer of the original movie and the book for the musical, Tim Minchin, the mastermind behind the music and lyrics, and director Matthew Warchus, to talk about taking another bite of the cherry, the songs of the musical, its ill-fated Broadw
#567 — Melissa Barrera, Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Daniel Kaluuya
Greetings, Spidey fans! This week's episode of the Empire Podcast sees Chris Hewitt point at Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse stars, Shameik Moore (aka Miles Morales), Hailee Steinfeld (aka Gwen Stacy), and Daniel Kaluuya (aka Spider-Punk). They also have a fun chat once the fingers are holstered. Speaking of fingers, Chris is joined in the podbooth by Helen O'Hara, who has her full complement, and James Dyer, who... well, you'll see. Together, the three of them chat about the week's movie ne
Spike Lee Interview Special
Since he burst onto the scene in the late Eighties, Spike Lee has been one of the most inventive and vital voices in American cinema. The great director came to London in February to receive a BFI Fellowship, the highest honour the British Film Institute can bestow, and as part of that received the highest honour the Empire Podcast can bestow: an interview special, in which he sits down with Chris Hewitt for a fascinating chat, in which they talk primarily about Malcolm X, his epic biopic of the
#566 — Javier Bardem, Daveed Diggs
This week's episode of the Empire Podcast is better, down where it's wetter. Although we wouldn't recommend listening to this under the sea, in case you get your phone all soggy. Anyway, this is our way of saying that we're joined this week by Javier Bardem and Daveed Diggs, two of the stars of the latest Disney live-action animation adaptation (try saying that when you're the worse for wear), The Little Mermaid. They talk to Helen O'Hara and Ben Travis, respectively, and both are tons of fun. T
#565 — Sung Kang
This week's episode of the Empire Podcast lives its life a quarter of a mile at a time, with some hot peri-peri sauce on the side, as Sung Kang — aka Han from Fast X — Zooms in for an extended chat with Chris Hewitt, in which mind-blowing revelations are, um, revealed about Sung's predilection for Nando's, Tesco, and Liverpool FC. Did he and Chris just become best friends? YEP! Elsewhere, in the studio, Chris is joined by James Dyer and Alex Godfrey and, remotely from her Covid-cave, Helen O'Har
#564 — Aml Ameen, Nick Park
It's been 30 years since Wallace & Gromit: The Wrong Trousers and Chris Hewitt, in a special preview of a bigger interview to come, sat down with Nick Park to talk all things Aardman. And Aml Ameen joins Amon Warmann to discuss hunting down paramilitaries in '70s London with Sky original Dead Shot. Plus, with Chris in LA, James Dyer, Helen O'Hara and John Nugent converge upon the studio to chat about the movie location landmarks that take them to their respective happy places, whether The Meg 2
#563 — Karen Gillan, Joe Russo
The Guardians Of The Galaxy — or, at least, James Gunn's Guardians Of The Galaxy — are about to make their last stand with this week's long-awaited Vol. 3, and in this week's episode of the Empire Podcast, Chris Hewitt Zooms with Nebula herself, Karen Gillan, for a fun chat taking in everything from conspiracy theories to James Gunn's initial firing from the project, and everything in-between. Chris also has a chat with another regular pod-guest, Joe Russo, who tells Chris about the second year
Empire On Jedi: A Return Of The Jedi Special (Live At Star Wars Celebration)
Yub nub, motherfubbers! To celebrate Return Of The Jedi's 40th anniversary (no, of course that doesn't make us feel old), and re-release in cinemas around the world, we bring you a gift that would have impressed even the mighty Jabba the Hutt: the live podcast we recorded a few weeks ago when Star Wars Celebration came to London. So join Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, Nick de Semlyen, and Ben Travis for a fun-filled hour of bad impressions, even worse opinions, audience questions, and Ewok recipes.
#562 — Jim Broadbent & Penelope Wilton, David Lowery
If this week's episode of the Empire Podcast seems even more incoherent than usual, that's because it was recorded very early in the morning. Mind you, that doesn't explain why Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara and James Dyer are incoherent at the best of times, but we digress. In this episode, our intrepid trio tackle a listener question about Dodgeball 2 and end up answering a completely different Q; discuss the week's movie news, including almost everything that emerged from CinemaCon; and review Pe
#561 — Alyssa Sutherland, Sam Raimi
Hail to the King, baby! No, we haven't gone all Coronation crazy, folks. Instead, this week's Empire Podcast sees the return of Chris Hewitt's beloved possessed GOAT boy, and all-time favourite filmmaker, Sam Raimi, who rocks up on Zoom to talk about the return of the Evil Dead in Lee Cronin's Evil Dead Rise. Plus, they talk about -- you'll never guess -- a little film called Evil Dead II, that Chris might have mentioned once or twice on the podcast. But also, hail to the Queen, baby! Chris also
#560 — Jason Statham & Guy Ritchie, Nicholas Hoult
It's an all-British affair on the Empire Podcast this week, as we finally get a chance to bring you the interview Chris Hewitt did with Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre director/star combo, Guy Ritchie and The 'Jason Statham' Stath over a year ago, before the film's release was delayed. Now it's out on Prime Video, here's the perfect chance to hear the duo talk about working together over the years, and Ritchie's unique approach to choreographing action sequences. Then, in an interview that has
#559 — Russell Crowe, Matt Damon & Marlon Wayans, Chris Pratt & Charlie Day
This week's Empire Podcast has more stars than Frank Lampard has had managerial jobs at Chelsea, folks. First up, Amon Warmann is The Pope's Exorcist's star's interviewer, as he talks to the great Russell Crowe about accents, Gladiator 2 and more. Then Amon gives Air stars Matt Damon and Marlon Wayans the big old Nike tick of approval in another fun chat. And finally Chris Hewitt rounds things off with a fun if chaotic chat with Chris Pratt and Charlie Day, the stars of The Super Mario Bros. Mov
The George Lucas Talk Show Interview Special ft. Connor Ratliff, Griffin Newman, and Patrick Cotnoir
It's Star Wars Celebration week, folks! The annual Jabba-and-Jawas jamboree is coming to London this year, and that is all the excuse that Connor Ratliff, Griffin Newman and Patrick Cotnoir needed to bring their runaway hit, The George Lucas Talk Show, to the Soho Theatre for a couple of shows on Friday April 7th and Saturday April 8th. If you're unfamiliar, it's an improvised spoof chat show in which Ratliff plays Retired Filmmaker George Lucas (yes, that George Lucas) and Newman plays his side
#558 — Scott Adkins, Chris Pine & Hugh Grant, Michelle Rodriguez & Regé-Jean Page, Justice Smith & Sophia Lillis
OK, we're not going to lie. This week's episode of the (freshly award-nominated) Empire Podcast is even more bumper-sized than usual, folks. But that's what happens when the legendary action star, Scott Adkins, strolls into the podbooth and joins Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara and James Dyer for the first third of the show, talking about his time as Killa Harkan in John Wick: Chapter 4. Scott also sticks around for the listener question section, which is nice. Oh, and there's a big John Wick Chapter
#557 — Ian McShane, Alexander Skarsgard, John Boyega
Another Empire Podcast episode, another bumper selection of guests this week, as Chris Hewitt sits down (in person) with Ian McShane, star of John Wick Chapter 4, and they chat about hotels, Lovejoy, McShane's start in acting, and (of course) Columbo. (Note: this interview was conducted before the news broke of the death of McShane's John Wick co-star, Lance Reddick) Chris also has a fantastic chat with John Boyega, star of Breaking, which is released on PVOD on Monday (March 27th), in which the
#556 — Vivian Oparah & Raine Allen-Miller, Liam Neeson, Peyton Reed, Jeff Loveness
Another bumper episode of the Empire Podcast this week, folks, as Chris Hewitt chats with Raine Allen-Miller and Vivian Oparah, director and star respectively of the effervescent new rom-com, Rye Lane. This may actually be the first pod interview where one of us is on a boat. Which one? Find out by listening! Then Chris sits down for a chat about movies and movie history with Marlowe star, Liam Neeson, and there's a taster of our Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania spoiler special interviews with
#555 — Rachel Zegler, Tony Gilroy & Diego Luna
A mere 55 episodes after her triumphant appearance at our live show to mark episode 500, the wonderful Rachel Zegler returns to the Empire Podcast to talk Shazam! Fury Of The Gods, poster spoilers, cheap mic stands, George Lucas, and much, much more in a fun chat with Chris Hewitt. Guest-wise this week there's also an excerpt from James Dyer's forthcoming Andor s1 spoiler special interview with Tony Gilroy and Diego Luna, the creator and star of that most excellent Star Wars show respectively. E
#554 — Damien Chazelle & Justin Hurwitz, Christopher Landon, Michael B. Jordan
This week's episode of the Empire Podcast sees another onslaught of incredible guests, as Ian Freer chats with Babylon's director-composer duo of Damien Chazelle and Justin Hurwitz about their working relationship and long friendship, and Chris Hewitt talks scary VHS covers with We Have A Ghost director Christopher Landon, and stepping into the directorial breach with Creed III star (and shot caller), Michael B. Jordan. Then, in the podbooth, Helen O'Hara hosts this week, and she's joined by Jam
#553 — Lily James & Shazad Latif, Jon Favreau
As a great lady once sang, what's love got to do with it? Everything, is usually the answer, and that certainly drives this week's episode of the Empire Podcast and, indeed, the new rom-com What's Love Got To Do With It, whose stars, Lily James and Shazad Latif, pop onto a laptop and have a Zoom chat with Chris Hewitt in which he makes a desperate pitch to become their agent, and leaves the Working Title screening room in a frightful state. And love — namely of a little green guy with big ears —
#552 — Jenny Slate, Jonathan Majors, Paul Rudd
This week's episode of the Empire Podcast is bursting at the seams with Quantumania, as Chris Hewitt sits down with Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania stars, Jonathan Majors (aka Kang The Conqueror) and Paul Rudd (aka Lang The Possibly Conquered). One of the interviews is thoughtful and considered and introspective, the other is pure chaos. Have fun finding out which is which! Then Ben Travis Zooms with Jenny Slate, star and co-writer of the delightful Marcel The Shell With Shoes On, and finds ou
#551 — M. Night Shyamalan, Felix Kammerer
This week's episode of the Empire Podcast sees the team swap Kings Place, where we recorded last week's triumphant 550th episode, for the podbooth once more... and quickly yearn for air conditioning. Inbetween melting down (in the case of our equipment, quite literally), Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, James Dyer and Sophie Butcher discuss franchises that went on too long, have a crack at the week's movie news, and review Women Talking, Magic Mike's Last Dance, Blue Jean, and Your Place Or Mine. Fra
#550 — Charlotte Wells & Frankie Corio, Asif Kapadia, Andy Serkis & Jamie Payne
Episode 550 is here! To celebrate the latest Empire Podcast landmark, we once again staged a live show at Kings Place, London, and now here is that show, reassembled in the correct order and with the really naughty bits cut out (to see those, the live stream of the show is still available to watch via kings place.co.uk for the next two weeks!). And it was a belter, as Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, Ben Travis, and James Dyer took to the stage in front of a packed crowd of loyal listeners, and chatt
#549 — Guillermo del Toro & Mark Gustafson, Michelle Williams, Brendan Fraser & Darren Aronofsky
This week's episode of the Empire Podcast features more Oscar nominees than... well, not the Oscars themselves, that would be ridiculous. But certainly more Oscan nominees than you could shake a golden stick at. First, Chris Hewitt has a chat with Guillermo del Toro and Mark Gustafson, directors of Best Animated Feature frontrunner, Pinocchio (not that one). Then, Alex Godfrey gets deep with Best Actress nominee, Michelle Williams, as she tells him about how she played Steven Spielberg's mum for
Extraordinary: An Empire Podcast/Pilot TV Special, In Association With Disney+
Welcome, folks, to a most extraordinary podcast (in association with Disney+). A podcast in which Team Empire and Team Pilot TV get together to discuss the extraordinary Extraordinary, the brand-new sitcom that is now streaming on Disney+. Created and written by Emma Moran, Extraordinary is set in a world where everyone develops a superpower after they turn 18. Everyone, that is, except for Jen (Mairead Tyers), who is approaching 25 and is still fumbling for direction and meaning and purpose. Be
#548 — Gerard Butler & Mike Colter
THIS! IS! OVERSHARING! Full disclosure, folks — this week's Empire Podcast features the return of one of our favourite interviewees, Gerry 'Gerard' Butler, as he and his PLANE co-star Mike Colter sit down on Zoom with our Chris Hewitt. And while it's as fun and giggle-tactic as any of Butler's appearances on the pod, we should warn you that a lot of it revolves around a story that Chris shares (some might say, overshares) with the duo right at the beginning. And that story is a load of old poop.
#547 — Sam Mendes, Jason Blum & James Wan, Todd Field
We're back! Finally! And properly! The first Empire Podcast of 2023 is here, folks, and it features an interview that Helen did with Noah Baumbach, director of White Noi... no, only kidding. This week's interviews are a one-time deal, folks, but they are absolute belters, as Chris Hewitt sits down with Empire Of Light writer-director Sam Mendes, and M3GAN producers Jason Blum and James Wan; while Ian Freer has a natter with Todd Field, who returns as director after a long hiatus with the brillia
In Conversation With S.S. Rajamouli: An Empire Podcast Interview Special
Here's another little bonus episode to get your 2023 off to a good start, listeners. S.S. Rajamouli is the brilliant director of last year's astonishing, action-packed, Indian epic RRR (now streaming on Netflix), and in this very special, spoiler-filled interview (also available to spoiler special subscribers, along with Team Empire doing a deep dive into the movie; one of last year's finest), he tells Chris Hewitt all about how he managed it. To subscribe to the spoiler specials, go to empire.s
Empire's Preview Of 2023 (ft. Noah Baumbach)
Happy New Year, folks! So, there's no regular episode of the Empire Podcast this week (we'll be back next week, Jan 13th), but in order to fill the huge pod-shaped hole in your lives, Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and James 'Jaime Blanco' White crammed themselves into the studio just yesterday to record a fun breakdown of the forthcoming fillums that have got them all het up and hot under the collar. From Killers Of The Flower Moon to Barbie, from the MCU to Mission: Impossible, all hu
2022, The Year In Review: An Empire Podcast Special
And so 2022 has come to an end, folks. It was a tough year for pretty much everybody, but it was also a very good year, cinematically speaking, and in this Empire Podcast special, Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and Amon Warmann convene in the podbooth to have an extended natter about the year that was. Along the way, formats for the show are abandoned on the fly, the pod discuss the films that they loved, the future of cinema, a strange year for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and much,
The Greatest Actors Of All Time: An Empire Podcast Discussion Special
The new issue of Empire magazine is on sale right now, folks, in all good, evil, and virtual newsagents, and it's a belter. This month's issue is dedicated to a celebration of the greatest actors of all time, as voted for by you, the readers of Empire. It's got everything, from exclusive interviews with Nicolas Cage (our cover star) and Tilda Swinton, to the likes of Tim Burton waxing lyrical about that time he worked with Jack Nicholson on a little film called Batman, and Gina Prince-Bythewood
#546 — Kate Hudson & Jessica Henwick, Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman
On the last Empire Podcast of the year, we have something of a The Prestige reunion, which is nice. First, Christian Bale, star of The Pale Blue Eye, talks to Chris Hewitt about being mistaken for Gareth Bale, and his experiences working with directors on multiple occasions, including Adam McKay, Scott Cooper, and Terrence Malick. Then Hugh Jackman, Golden Globe-nominated star of The Son (which opens here in February), talks to Amon Warmann about his experiences on that movie, working with Antho
In Conversation With James Cameron — Live In London
Stop your grinnin' and drop your linen. James Cameron has finally returned to the director's chair after more than a decade away, with Avatar: The Way Of Water, the sequel to the biggest film of all time. And when he came to London recently, we were delighted to stage a special Cameron-centric event, via the Empire VIP Club. First up, the Empire Podcast team of Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara and James Dyer hold court in front of a packed audience of Empire VIP Club members, waxing lyrical about all
#545 — James Cameron, Alejandro G. Inarritu, Sean Anders
Christmas is coming, and the goose isn't the only thing that's getting fat. The Empire Podcast is bursting at the seams with incredible guests yet again, as we welcome a trio of top directors this week. First up, you get a brief excerpt from Chris Hewitt's live Q&A with James Cameron as he returns to cinemas with Avatar: The Way Of Water (the full show will be up soon, should you wish to listen to the rest; and you should!). Then, Amon Warmann has a nice in-depth chat with Alejandro G. Inarritu
An Empire Christmas Gift: National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation Spoiler Special ft. Jeremiah Chechik
Mele Kalikimaka, everybody. As part of Empire's Advent Calendar season, here's a little gift from us to you, as we temporarily break down the door of the Empire Spoiler Special subscription channel and bring you the retro spoiler pod we recorded a couple of years ago for one of the most beloved modern Christmas movies: National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. Featuring an in-depth deep dive with the film's director, Jeremiah S. Chechik (no, the S. doesn't stand for Santa), and a good old natter ab
#544 — Lee Unkrich, Rebecca Hall, Antoine Fuqua, Letitia Wright and Tamara Lawrance
Christmas is coming, folks, and that means that the Empire Podcast's sack is simply heaving with guests this week. First, Toy Story 3 and Coco director, Lee Unkrich, pops into the booth for a bit to talk about his new, definitive book about the making of Stanley Kubrick's The Shining, and tackle this week's listener question (about Christmas songs in movies). Then Chris Hewitt chats with Resurrection star Rebecca Hall and Emancipation director Antoine Fuqua, and Amon Warmann gets to the heart of
#543 — Damian Lewis & Nick Murphy, Greta Gerwig, Frank Grillo
Blimey, folks, this week's episode of the Empire Podcast has more guests than Jamie Lee Curtis' home on Christmas Day. (Because she's married to Christopher Guest, you see, and presumably there would be a large number of extended family members invited around for a slap-up meal.) Helen O'Hara has a lovely chat with White Noise star Greta Gerwig about casting herself, her desire to make a musical, and more. Then Chris Hewitt has a lovely natter with action movie ace Frank Grillo, who's spreading
#542 — Luca Guadagnino, Tim Minchin
This week's episode of the Empire Podcast sees Luca Guadagnino, director of Call Me By Your Name, talk about his new movie, the dark cannibal romance Bones And All, and to spare him the ignominy of Chris Hewitt bellowing *that* song at him, we asked John Nugent to Zoom with Guadagnino instead. The result is a fascinating and frank discussion about the director's creative process. Also being frank and fascinating about their creative process is Tim Minchin, the genius songwriter behind the tunes
#541 — Paul Mescal, Will Ferrell & Octavia Spencer, Florence Pugh & Sebastian Lelio
The Empire Podcast has more hat-tricks than Mo Salah, and this week is no exception, as we welcome three batches of tremendous guests. First, Paul Mescal, star of the wonderful new drama Aftersun, goes it alone, as he tells Ella Kemp that he's not as serious as the movies and TV shows he makes, no honest. Then, Chris Hewitt is the Host Of Christmas Present as he chats to Spirited stars Will Ferrell and Octavia Spencer about the best swag they've ever got from a movie. And finally, Amon Warmann c
#540 — Danai Gurira, Tenoch Huerta Mejía, Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead
Another bumper belting bangily-banger this week, folks, as the Empire Podcast marks the eagerly-awaited arrival of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever by dispatching Amon Warmann to talk to two of its stars, Dania Gurira — Okoye herself — and the MCU's latest menace, Namor The Sub-Mariner, aka Tenoch Huerta Mejía. Then, Chris Hewitt has a chat with Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, the filmmaking duo behind the trippy and terrific Something In The Dirt. But that's not all — in the virtual podbooth th
#539 — Daniel Radcliffe, Jennifer Lawrence & Lila Neugebauer
This week's episode of the Empire Podcast sees Daniel Radcliffe make his second pod-appearance of the year, as he tells Chris Hewitt all about playing Weird Al Yankovic in the riotous faux-biopic, Weird. They also talk about accents, living in New York, and what Radcliffe's own biopic would be called. And names are on the agenda with Jennifer Lawrence too, as the Oscar-winning actress returns with her contemplative drama, Causeway, the first movie to be produced by her company, Excellent Cadaver
#538 — Billy Eichner & Luke Macfarlane, Georgina Campbell
This week's episode of the Empire Podcast sees Billy Eichner, writer/star of rom-com Bros, and his co-star Luke Macfarlane, sit down with Chris Hewitt for a fun and frank chat about shooting sex scenes, Eichner's long struggle to bring a gay love story to the big screen with the backing of a major studio, and why podcasts are the new porn. Then Chris also sits down with British actress Georgina Campbell, star of this week's cracking new horror Barbarian, for a spoiler-free chat which includes Ca
The Good Nurse: An Empire/London Film Festival Special ft. Jessica Chastain, Eddie Redmayne, Tobias Lindholm and Krysty Wilson-Cairns
The Good Nurse is a sombre, serious and affecting drama based on the story of Charles Cullen, one of the most notorious serial killer cases in American history, with superb performances from Eddie Redmayne as Cullen, who abused his position as a nurse to kill patients, and Jessica Chastain as Amy Loughren, a fellow nurse and friend who helped the police apprehend Cullen and put a stop to a spree that had lasted for more than a decade and, it is believed, accounted for hundreds of victims. It was
#537 — Pierce Brosnan, Emma Corrin & Michael Grandage
Who hasn't found themselves consumed with thoughts of Pierce Brosnan films after reading the instructions on a microwaveable ready meal? And rightly so, for the Irish superstar has made a number of memorable movies over the years, including some in which he played a memorable number. But now to the iconic likes of James Bond and Thomas Crown, we can add Doctor Fate, the character Brosnan plays in the new DCEU movie, Black Adam. And on this week's Empire Podcast, The Artist Formerly Known As Bron
#536 — Jamie Lee Curtis, Oliver Jackson-Cohen
"Now it's time for Halloween Ends, Halloween Ends, Halloween Ends — Empire Podcast!" Yes, folks, Halloween is just around the corner and with it, the debut of Halloween Ends, David Gordon Green's conclusion to the retconned sequel trilogy that continues the story that began so memorably in John Carpenter's Halloween. That, of course, introduced the world to Michael Myers and one Jamie Lee Curtis as his nemesis, Laurie Strode, and now, over forty years on, Curtis returns to the pod for the third
Hans Zimmer Interview Special
Who doesn't love a bit of Hans Zimmer blasting through their speakers/earbuds/headphones [delete as applicable]? The legendary Oscar-winning composer has been soundtracking our cinematic lives for decades now, and recently has started taking the show on the road with an incredible live tour and, as of March next year, a live album called Hans Zimmer Live. (See hanszimmerlive.com for more details) So, when the great man popped into London last week and let it be known he was up for speaking to th
#535 — Lashana Lynch & Sheila Atim, Steve Coogan & Jeff Pope, Christian Bale & David O. Russell
Hat-tricks aren't exclusive to that robotic Haaland fella, you know, as this week's Empire Podcast sees a trio of cracking interviews with three pairs of guests. First, Helen O'Hara sits down for a fun chat with The Woman King's right-hand ladies, Lashana Lynch and Sheila Atim. Then Chris Hewitt talks to The Lost King's screenwriting duo, Steve Coogan (yes, that one) and Jeff Pope about following up Philomena with another true-life tale. And finally, after coming so close on Thor Love & Thunder,
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Trailer Breakdown Special
The second trailer for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever didn't hold back on the emotion that is clearly going to drive Ryan Coogler's MCU mega-sequel, following the tragic passing of Chadwick Boseman, but it also filled in more of the film's blanks, plot-wise, hinted at some major action sequences, and preserved the mystery of just who is going to take over as the new Black Panther. Plenty, then, for Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, and Amon Warmann to dig into in this trailer breakdown special, record
Discussing FX's The Bear: An Empire/Pilot TV Podcast Special, In Association With Disney+
Hands! Corner! Behind! No, we're not trying to activate The Winter Soldier — these phrases will make sense to you once you've watched the excellent new comedy-drama, FX's The Bear, the first season of which is now streaming on Disney+. It follows Carmy Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White), a highly-rated and extraordinarily-talented chef who swaps being a rising star on the New York fine dining scene for the relentless grind of running a sandwich shop in Chicago, bequeathed to him after the death of hi
#534 — Maika Monroe, B.J. Novak
This week's episode of the Empire Podcast looks ahead to two of next week's releases, as Maika Monroe makes her first appearance on the pod since 2014 to talk with Chris Hewitt about her new film, Significant Other, bonding with directors, and how she navigated her career after the one-two punch of The Guest and It Follows. Then Chris also has an in-depth chat with B.J. Novak, star of the American version of The Office, about his long-awaited directorial debut, Vengeance, about his dad's Google
Bond At 60: A Barbara Broccoli/Michael G. Wilson Interview Special
Happy birthday, Mr. Bond. Yes, this October sees 007 turn 0060 with the 60th anniversary of Dr No, the film that brought Ian Fleming's James Bond to the big screen for the first time. The celebrations begin this weekend with a series of Bond At 60 events at the BFI Southbank and BFI Imax, then a The Sound Of Bond concert at the Royal Albert Hall on Tuesday October 4, headlined by Dame Shirley Bassey, and the debut of Mat Whitecross' documentary, The Sound Of Bond, on Prime Video on October 5.
B
#533 — Steve Coogan, Bryce Dallas Howard & DeWanda Wise
This week's episode of the Empire Podcast marks the return of the podcast with the best theme tune this side of, well, us, by talking to its co-creator and star. Yes, we're talking all things Alan Partridge with Steve Coogan as series 2 of the Partridge podcast, From The Oasthouse, returns to Audible. Plus, Ben Travis flies to Malta (and boy, were his arms tired) to have a raucous chat with Jurassic World: Dominion stars Bryce Dallas Howard and DeWanda Wise about Colin Trevorrow's Extended Editi
Wedding Season: An Empire Podcast/Pilot TV Podcast Special, In Association With Disney+
Wedding Season is the new thrill-packed, mystery-stuffed rom-com that is now streaming on Disney+. The first-ever UK Original Series on Disney+, it follows the adventures of Stefan (Gavin Drea) and Kate (Rosa Salazar), a couple on the run after Katie's entire wedding party, including her husband, are killed, leaving Katie as the prime suspect, and the cops (and other interested parties) hot on their heels. And in this special crossover episode, brought to you in association with Disney+, the Emp
Andor Preview Special ft. Diego Luna and Tony Gilroy
Andor is the latest Star Wars show to hit Disney+, with the first three episodes (of its 12-episode first season) dropping on the service on Wednesday September 21st, but it's a very different beast than, say, The Mandalorian or The Book Of Boba Fett. Instead, Tony Gilroy and Diego Luna's return to the flawed but noble character who, in many ways, was the heart of 2016's Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is the most ambitious new slab of Star Wars to date. And in this preview podcast, Ben Travis talk
#532 — Reece Shearsmith
This week's episode of the Empire Podcast brings you Reece Shearsmith — our guest at last week's London Podcast Festival live show at Kings Place, London — on sparkling form, as he tells Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara and Ben Travis all about new film See How They Run, recruiting actors for Inside No 9, working with David Warner, Peter Kay and Steve Coogan, and much, much more. That can be found at around 00:22:49.00, and finishes around 00:49:00.00
Then, in the podbooth, Chris, Helen and Ben are
#531 — Sam Rockwell & Tom George
'Ello 'ello 'ello, what's all this then? This week's Empire Podcast — recorded before the news about the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II — sees Sam Rockwell, who plays Inspector Stoppard in breezy new whodunnit See How They Run, reunite with his director, Tom George, and tell Chris Hewitt all about howtheydidit. That can be found from 00:51:13.00 - 01:10:39.00 approx. Then, in the virtual podbooth, Chris returns to the host's chair after a couple of weeks 'off', and is armed with tales o
Wedding Season: An Empire And Pilot Podcast Special, In Association With Disney+
Wedding Season is the new thrill-packed, mystery-stuffed rom-com that launches today on Disney+ as part of Disney+ Day. The first-ever UK Original Series on Disney+, it follows the adventures of Stefan (Gavin Drea) and Katie (Rosa Salazar), a couple on the run after Katie's entire wedding party, including her husband, are killed, leaving Katie as the prime suspect and the cops (and other interested parties) hot on their heels. And in this special crossover episode, brought to you in association
#530 — Michael Flatley
He is the Lord Of The Dance. The Riveriest of dancers. A man who scares the bejesus out of Chandler Bing. But now Michael Flatley has made the most talked-about movie of the week: his long-awaited motion picture debut, Blackbird, which he also wrote and directed. In a fun and candid interview, Flatley tells Chris Hewitt all about the motivation to make a movie now that his dancing career is behind him, the long delay in getting a release date, and his awareness of the critics lying in wait. Chec
#529 — Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù
This week's Empire Podcast sees the ace British actor Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù — memorably seen breaking heads in Gangs Of London — breaking hearts instead as the most eligible bachelor in England, in the delightful Mr. Malcolm's List. He tells Chris Hewitt all about this gear shift, his extensive research for a period role, and his days as a Harry Potter fan. That can be found between 00:32:45.00 and 00:55:19.00, timestamp fans. Then, in the virtual podbooth this week, Helen O'Hara hosts and brings Amon Wa
#528 — Owen Wilson, Henry Joost & Ariel Schulman, Alan Cumming
Just like Chorley FM, this week's episode of the Empire Podcast is Cumming in your ears as Chris Hewitt invites the great Alan Cumming — star of this week's excellent documentary, My Old School — into the podbooth for a fun chat about bagels, surnames, and why making this movie felt like fate. Chris also has a lovely chat with Secret Headquarters star, the wowtastic Owen Wilson, and his directors, Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman, which takes in everything from parental responsibility to how to ma
She-Hulk: Attorney At Law Preview Special ft. Tatiana Maslany, Jessica Gao, and Kat Coiro
She-Hulk: Attorney At Law is the latest MCU show to hit Disney+, and introduces us to Bruce Banner's cousin, Jennifer Walters, a high-flying lawyer who also happens to be a Hulk. The show launches on August 18 on Disney+, and in this episode Chris Hewitt (who is crazy about the show) sits down across Zoom for chats with Jessica Gao, the show's head writer/creator; Kat Coiro, the show's lead director; and the brilliant Tatiana Maslany, who plays both Jen and She-Hulk. Don't worry, this isn't a sp
#527 — Jordan Peele, Ari Folman
This week's Empire Podcast sees Chris Hewitt have two fascinating natters with two very different directors: first, Jordan Peele talks about his mysterious third movie, Nope (which gets a big Yep from us), and anoints Chris as the new Oprah Winfrey (you'll have to listen for it to make some kind of sense), and then Ari Folman, the director of Waltz With Bashir and new animated movie Where Is Anne Frank, talks about the state of animation, why it took him eight years to make it, and Liverpool Foo
#526 — John McTiernan, Amber Midthunder
We've got Predator on our minds this week on the Empire Podcast. Which makes a change. Not only do we review Dan Trachtenberg's Prey, his prequel to John McTiernan's 1987 action classic, but Chris Hewitt sits down with that film's star, Amber Midthunder, for a fun interview in which they discuss how Amber, whose parents are an actor and a casting director, wasn't necessarily fated to become an actor, about Prey's commitment to Comanche traditions, going to craft services with a Predator, and usi
#525 — Aaron Taylor-Johnson & Brian Tyree Henry, Robert B. Weide
Next week sees the release of David Leitch's latest action movie, Bullet Train, which we're confidently told is not a sequel to The Railway Children Return. Instead, it stars Brad Pitt as an assassin on board a Japanese bullet train, who gets mixed up with a colourful cast of fellow hitpeople, not all of whom have his best interests at heart. Two of those are Tangerine and Lemon, two Cockney killers played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Brian Tyree Henry, both of whom join Chris Hewitt this week fo
Marvel Studios' Comic-Con 2022 Slate Announcement: An Empire Podcast Reaction Special
Nature is healing. How do we know? Because Saturday saw Kevin Feige and some of his amazing friends return to Hall H at the San Diego Comic-Con to announce a ton of exciting news about the future of the MCU, including the first trailer for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, an 18-episode Disney+ series for Charlie Cox's Daredevil and not one, but two Avengers movies, due to be released just six months apart in 2025. And while Team Empire wasn't at Comic-Con this year (we were busy picking up a gong
#524 — Ron Howard
We can't move for members of the Howard family on the Empire Podcast these days. Why, only the other week we had Bryce Dallas Howard, and now her dad, the great director Ron, is our special guest this episode, as he tells Chris Hewitt all about his latest movie, Thirteen Lives, the story of the near-impossible Thai cave diving rescue that captivated the world in 2018. Ron and Chris also talk about how proud Ron is of Bryce's new career as a director, and her Apollo 13 homage in an episode of The
#523 — John McEnroe, Baz Luhrmann
Don't ever say that the Empire Podcast has a predictable roster of guests. For this week sees tennis legend John McEnroe sit down on Zoom with Chris Hewitt for a fun chat about his career, the new documentary McEnroe (which chronicles said career), and the numerous cameos he's made (usually as himself) in an array of films and TV shows. We cannot be serious? We can be serious. And don't call us Shirley. Chris is also joined by Elvis director Baz Luhrmann in an excerpt from our upcoming spoiler s
#522 — Eddie Hamilton, Jenny Agutter
This week's Empire Podcast sees someone new and noteworthy ease themselves into the fourth chair, as Eddie Hamilton, the brilliant editor of Top Gun: Maverick and the forthcoming double whammy of Mission: Impossible 7 and 8, joins the podteam — Chris Hewitt, James Dyer, and John Nugent — for the duration of the show. So, as well as picking Eddie's brains for tales of editing Maverick and getting the odd tip or ten, he joins us to tackle this week's listener question (about the best fourth instal
#521 — Justin Kurzel
This week's episode of the Empire Podcast sees the podteam — Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara and James Dyer — recovering from their failure to win Podcast Of The Year at the BSME awards. In the process of doing so, they prove categorically why they didn't win, and in the process discuss the greatest movie pilots (who aren't Maverick), talk about the best way to beat Roger Deakins in a fight, chat about the week's movie news, prepare to bid farewell to the grey, depressing podbooth, review Nitram, Min
#520 —Austin Butler
Elvis has entered the building. This week sees the release of Elvis, Baz Luhrmann's energetic biopic of Elvis Presley, the King of Rock'n'roll, and as a result our guest is Austin Butler, the young actor whose scintillating, swaggering performance as Elvis is set to make him a huge star. The charming Butler talks to Chris Hewitt about getting under Elvis' skin, and about the time he had a surprising encounter while shooting Once Upon A Time In Hollywood with Quentin Tarantino. That interview sta
#519 — Emma Thompson and Daryl McCormack
Good Luck To You, Leo Grande is a fantastic new British movie that sees Dame Emma Thompson and Daryl McCormack spend a lot of time together in a hotel room. So that's exactly what we made them do again this week, with Ella Kemp (making her Empire Podcast debut) talking to the stars of Sophie Hyde's movie about an ageing woman who, having had very few positive sexual experiences, hires a sex worker (McCormack), and complications ensue. The film is frank, funny, and insightful, and their chat with
Udo Kier: An Empire Podcast Interview Special
Udo Kier is one of cinema's greatest cult heroes. The German actor has been working steadily for almost sixty years, having become an actor after being discovered by chance while living in London as a young man. Since then, he's built one of the most eclectic filmographies around, appearing in over 200 films which have seen him work with some of the greatest directors around. Virtually all those appearances, though, have been cameos, which is why it's great to see Kier finally get his leading ma
#518 — Bryce Dallas Howard
This week's Empire Podcast is an episode 65 million and 29 years in the making, as Jurassic World: Dominion star Bryce Dallas Howard pops in for a face-to-face chat with Chris Hewitt, in which she talks about growing up on set with her director dad, Ron Howard, and how he's rubbish at keeping secrets. There's plenty of dino-chat as well for you Parkheads. Then, in the virtual podbooth this week, Chris is joined by James Dyer and Amon Warmann for an episode in which they take advantage of Helen O
Ms. Marvel Preview Special ft. Adil & Bilall, Bisha K. Ali, Sana Amanat
With Ms. Marvel, the latest MCU TV show, set to debut on Disney+ this Wednesday (June 8), we've decided to bring you a special preview of the show, and what you can expect from Kamala Khan, the newest hero on the Marvel Cinematic Universe block. In this suitably embiggened episode of the Empire Podcast, Chris Hewitt chats with the show's key creatives — head directors Adil & Bilall, show creator and head writer Bisha K. Ali, and Kamala Khan co-creator and producer, Sana Amanat. These are largely
#517 — Rob Savage, Annie Hardy & Amar Chadha-Patel
Britain may have shut down to mark the celebrations of the Queen's latest Jubilation Lee, but the Empire Podcast keeps on trucking, folks. In this week's episode, Chris Hewitt sits down on Zoom (luckily, with no demon present) to talk to director Rob Savage about DASHCAM, his follow-up to the sensational Host, and he brings his stars Annie Hardy and Amar Chadha-Patel along for an interview that is a wild ride in itself. Perhaps it's best to listen to this once you've seen the film, as they talk
Pistol: An Empire Podcast + Pilot TV Podcast Special ft. Maisie Williams and Thomas Brodie-Sangster, In Association With Disney+
Only a group as seismic as The Sex Pistols could bring the Empire Podcast and the Pilot TV Podcast together once again. Yes, to mark the launch of Danny Boyle's brand-new six-part series, Pistol, on Disney+, Chris Hewitt, James Dyer, and Beth Webb put their collective noggins together and discuss the show, which debuts on Disney+ on May 31, and which charts the rapid rise and fall of the British punk band towards the tail end of the 1970s. In a fun episode, Chris, James and Beth talk about the c
Mike Hodges Interview Special: Talking Get Carter And More
"Carter! That's my name!" And Hodges! That's his name! Get Carter, the 1971 film that marked Mike Hodges' directorial debut on the big screen and which launched a career that would take in the likes of Flash Gordon and Croupier, has been re-released and remastered (in glorious 4K) by the BFI. It looks and sounds better than ever, so now you can bask in the bleakness of this revenge thriller, which sees Michael Caine go to Newcastle and wreak havoc. Hodges is now 89, and retired from filmmaking,
#516 — Rory Kinnear, Miles Teller
In a world-first for a podcast, every single person on this week's episode of the Empire Podcast (sorry, newly award-nominated Empire Podcast) is played by Rory Kinnear. Probably. Actually, that's not true, but after witnessing his tour de force performance(s) in Alex Garland's MEN, which is out next week and which sees Kinnear play multiple roles opposite Jessie Buckley, we wouldn't be surprised if it turned out that he was also playing Amon Warmann, who talks to Kinnear about Men, his career,
Obi-Wan Kenobi: An Empire Podcast Preview Special ft. Deborah Chow and Joby Harold
Obi-Wan Kenobi. Now that's a name we've not heard in a long time. A long time. But we're delighted to hear it again, because that means that Ewan McGregor is returning to the role he played in George Lucas' Star Wars prequel trilogy (and which Alec Guinness originated, of course, in the original trilogy) in a six-part limited edition show which launches this week on Disney+. And to celebrate, we've put together a preview special in which Chris Hewitt sits down across Zoom with the show's directo
#515 — Judd Apatow
This week's Empire Podcast sees the great writer/producer/director Judd Apatow drop in for another appearance, this time with his documentarian hat on, as he tells Chris Hewitt all about why he made the excellent two-part documentary, George Carlin's American Dream, which tells the life story of the great American stand-up, who was famous for his legendary routine about the seven words you can't say on television. You can say them on a podcast, though, which is what Chris does, so be mindful of
The Ranking: Nicolas Cage (The Empire 500 Live Show)
Episodes of The Ranking are like buses: you wait ages for one, and then when you get on, everyone's discussing the movies of Nicolas Cage. In this special live edition of The Ranking, recorded at our all-day Episode 500 celebrations at Kings Place in February (can it really be so long ago?), Helen O'Hara leads a motley crew of Cage enthusiasts — Nick de Semlyen, John Nugent, Amon Warmann, and Dan Jolin — to talk about the movies, career and nouveau shamanic acting style of the one, the only Nico
#514 — Ke Huy Quan, Scott Thompson & Bruce McCulloch
Heck of a week for comebacks on the latest episode of The Empire Podcast. First up, Ke Huy Quan — the iconic Short Round in Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom, and Data in The Goonies — tells Chris Hewitt all about why he has ended his long hiatus from acting with the sensational Everything Everywhere All At Once. Then Scott Thompson and Bruce McCulloch, two of the five members of legendary Canadian sketch comedy troupe, The Kids In The Hall, talk to Chris about getting the gang back together
Joe Russo At The Sands International Film Festival: An Empire Podcast Interview Special
The Gray Man — the latest movie from Joe and Anthony Russo, the directors of little films like Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Endgame and Welcome To Collinwood — is on the cover of this month's Empire magazine (on sale now, folks, in all good, evil and virtual newsagents), and so we can finally bring you the latest Empire Podcast interview special: a one-hour chat between Joe Russo and our very own Chris Hewitt, recorded a few weeks ago in St. Andrews, Scotland. This is not an interview a
#513 — Elizabeth Olsen
This is too much Multiverse Of Madness to fit into one text! Yes, this week finally sees the Empire Podteam assess the long-awaited arrival of Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness, directed by Chris Hewitt's beloved possessed GOAT boy, Sam Raimi, and as well as reviewing that film, our guest this week is one of the stars of the movie, Elizabeth Olsen, aka Wanda Maximoff, aka The Scarlet Witch. She has a lovely chat with Chris about the evolution of Wanda, her love of London and sports, an
#512 — Laura Carmichael & Tuppence Middleton, Julian Fellowes
Welcome to Downtonpalooza, as this week's guests on the Empire Podcast hail from either side of the camera on Downton Abbey: A New Era, the latest cinematic instalment of the ever-popular Downton Abbey franchise. First, Helen O'Hara chats to two of the movie's stars, Laura Carmichael and Tuppence Middleton, and then has a natter with the creator of the whole shebang, Julian Fellowes. Then, in the podbooth, Helen joins Chris Hewitt, Amon Warmann, and James Dyer to discuss the obscure non-MCU Marv
#511 — Eddie Marsan
Choose life. Choose a podcast. Choose a movie podcast. Choose Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, Amon Warmann, and James Dyer talking about movies. Choose the occasional digression about fancy restaurants and Easter eggs. Choose a listener question (well, sort of) about the best lightsaber battles in Star Wars history. Choose discussion of the week's biggest movie news, including the Thor: Love And Thunder trailer. Choose reviews of new films like The Unbearable Weight Of Massive Talent, Happening, and
#510 — Colin Firth & Matthew Macfadyen, Alexander Skarsgård
This week's Empire Podcast brings you not one but two former Mr. Darcys, in the shape of Operation Mincemeat stars, Colin Firth and Matthew Macfadyen, who tell Chris Hewitt all about their connection to the World War II thriller, and their personal approaches to acting. Chris also has a lovely natter this week with Alexander Skarsgård, the star and producer of Robert Eggers' bonkers and brilliant Viking saga, The Northman. Then, in the podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and A
#509 — Daniel Radcliffe
This week's Empire Podcast sees a bright and optimistic young man who wears spectacles, lives under the stairs, and just might be the last hope for humanity... interview Daniel Radcliffe. Yes, in this episode Ben Travis, a humungous Harry Potter fan, finally comes face-to-face with The Boy Who Lived, and as well as talking about Radcliffe's new movie, adventure comedy The Lost City, his musical tastes and plans to launch a directing career, there's a little bit of Potter chat as well. Then, in t
#508 — Matt Smith, Ruth Wilson
The world has been waiting all week for an exclusive interview with someone called Smith, and this week's Empire Podcast doesn't disappoint, as Chris Hewitt sits down on Zoom with Morbius star Matt Smith, and they have a lovely natter about nicknames, horror movies, and Smith's desire to play Dracula, now that he's got his fangs into the whole vampire thang. (What, did you think we meant another Smith?) Our other guest this week is the wonderful Ruth Wilson, who speaks with Amon Warmann about he
Moon Knight Interview Special ft. Oscar Isaac, Ethan Hawke, May Calamawy and Mohamed Diab
Here's a podcast that can tell the difference between its waking life... and dreams. Yes, folks, as Moon Knight finally makes his dramatic debut on Disney+, this special edition of the Empire Podcast brings you interviews with the folks who brought the MCU's latest hero to life. First, Chris Hewitt welcomes the show's stars -- Moon Knight/Marc Spector/Steven Grant himself, Oscar Isaac; Ethan Hawke, who plays the villainous Arthur Harrow; and May Calamawy, aka Leila -- to our London studio for an
#507 — Jake Gyllenhaal and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Andrew Dominik, Renate Reinsve
Another bumper, jam-packed edition of the Empire Podcast this week, as we cram four guests and the podteam into the back of an ambulance and take off at high speed. First, Chris Hewitt has a fun chat with Jake Gyllenhaal and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, stars of Michael Bay's cracking new thriller, Ambulance. Then, as Chopper gets a re-release to mark its 20th-ish anniversary, Chris jumps on Zoom with that film's director, Andrew Dominik. Finally, Beth Webb sits down with Norwegian actress, and star o
The Great Unwatched — An Empire Podcast Special, In Association With JustWatch
Welcome to The Great Unwatched, a new Empire Podcast show brought to you by JustWatch, the ultimate movie and TV streaming guide. In this episode, Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara and James Dyer get together to plan a movie marathon. But the twist is that the movies they suggest must be obscure efforts, worthy of discovery, and that at least one of the trio hasn't seen. The idea is simple, the results are carnage. From a Cary Grant comedy to punks cavorting in graveyards, their choices run the gamut —
#506 — Sebastian Stan and Daisy Edgar-Jones, Simon Farnaby
This week's Empire Podcast sees Sophie Butcher interview Sebastian Stan, while trying not to say the words 'homecoming', 'fahrenheit' and 'boxcar'. Otherwise, bad things might happen. Not that they could be much worse than the bad things that happen in Stan's new movie, Fresh, in which he stars alongside Daisy Edgar-Jones as a new couple whose relationship turns very dark, very quick. Sophie talks to Stan and Edgar-Jones about that, their musical tastes, and more in a fun interview. Also fun, an
The Three Fact Structure (Live At Episode 500)
Episode 500 of the Empire Podcast may have taken place in February, but we're continuing our quest to bring you recorded versions of all the shows we mounted on that day. And the latest is the live edition of beloved/besmirched podcast semi-regular segment, The Three Fact Structure, in which host Chris Hewitt takes it easy while Ben Travis, Helen O'Hara, and James Dyer work themselves to the bone by presenting an obscure, unusual, or arcane film-related fact. This pod may only be 20 minutes long
#505 — Sandra Oh and Rosalie Chiang, Sean Baker
Red is the colour for this week's Empire Podcast. First, Ben Travis has a chat with Sandra Oh and Rosalie Chiang, stars of the new Pixar movie, Turning Red, and then Red Rocket director, Sean Baker, tells Alex Godfrey all about how he pulled off his delightful latest, in which Simon Rex stars as a porn star down on his luck. Sorry about the innuendo there, but that sets the tone for this mucky-minded filthpot of an episode, in which Chris Hewitt is joined by Ben, James Dyer and, making her debut
A Deep Dive Into The Dropout: An Empire Podcast + Pilot TV Podcast Special, In Association With Disney+
The first three episodes of The Dropout, the new series charting the rise and fall of tech entrepreneur Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos, the company she founded, have landed on Disney+, and in the latest team-up between the Empire Podcast and Pilot TV Podcast, Chris Hewitt, James Dyer, and Beth Webb have a good old natter about it. In this very special crossover episode, in association with Disney+, they talk about the real-life events behind the show (created by Elizabeth Meriwether), the reasons
#504 — David Koepp, Paul Dano
Riddle us this, riddle us, erm, shimmy, who's the man who wrote Steven Soderbergh's Kimi? Why, that would be David Koepp, one of our cracking guests on this week's Empire Podcast. The legendary screenwriter sits down on a Zoom with Chris Hewitt and tells him all about that, being a writer on set, and much more. And riddle us this, riddle us, um, drano, why does nothing rhyme with Dano? Yes, Ben Travis and Chris have a fun audience with Paul Dano, the actor who plays The Riddler in Matt Reeves' T
Questlove On Summer Of Soul (Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised) — An Empire Podcast Interview Special
Ahmir 'Questlove' Thompson's BAFTA and Oscar-nominated Summer Of Soul (Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised) is one of the finest directorial debuts in years, as the Roots drummer/musical maestro crafts a powerful and profound documentary that charts the Harlem Cultural Festival of 1969, a music festival that took place in the same summer as Woodstock, and yet didn't receive nearly the same cultural cachet. In fact, footage of the festival lay, untouched, for almost 50 years before Que
Kenneth Branagh On Belfast — An Empire Podcast Interview Special
Kenneth Branagh's wonderful BELFAST sees the writer-director (but not actor on this one, as he explains) return to his youth for inspiration, charting a beautiful black-and-white path through the childhood of a young boy growing up in the Northern Irish capital in 1969, just as The Troubles are about to truly erupt, changing the lives of all who lived there for decades to come.
In this Empire Podcast interview special, Chris Hewitt sits down on Zoom with his fellow Northern Irishman, Branagh,
#503 — Joe Wright, Paul Thomas Anderson, Dave Grohl
There go our heroes. Watch them as they go. This week's episode of the Empire Podcast sees three big names chat with us about their new projects, and as a result this pod is a little... everlong. First, Joe Wright, director of Cyrano, talks with Hanna Flint about his new musical and discloses his favourite Christmas movie along the way. Then Alex Godfrey Zooms in for a chat with the great Paul Thomas Anderson, who waxes lyrical about Licorice Pizza, Hard Eight turning 25, loving Mission: Impossi
#502 — Joanna Scanlan, Peter Dinklage
This week's Empire Podcast has a pair of interviews with some heavy-hitting acting types. First off, Joanna Scanlan, recently BAFTA-nominated for Best Actress for her turn in the excellent drama, After Love, talks with Helen O'Hara about that, and about playing the long game in her career. Then Hanna Flint (making her Empire Podcast debut) has a fun chat, recorded before Christmas hence the festive references, with the ever-excellent Peter Dinklage, star of next week's Joe Wright-directed musica
Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness Trailer Breakdown Special
Because a few of you demanded it, here it is: the Empire Podcast's breakdown of the brand-new trailer for Sam Raimi's Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness. Join Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, Amon Warmann, and Ben Travis as they go frame-by-frame through the new trailer, and the 30-second Super Bowl TV spot, as if it's the Zapruder film. Features: wild speculation and rumour-mongering, much of which will no doubt be proved incorrect when the film opens in May. So, cue up the trailer on a dev
Hot Fuzz At 15: A Live Celebration ft. Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg
Happy birthday, Hot Fuzz! Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg's cracking cop comedy is now fifteen years old, if you can believe it. And in this very special episode of the Empire Podcast, recorded live at Kings Place as part of our all-day celebration of Episode 500, Chris Hewitt sits down with Wright and Pegg live on stage for a one-hour deep dive into the movie. Featuring never-before-heard stories of the writing of, and making of, the movie, it's a must-listen. And that's even before we get to the l
#501 — Josephine Decker, Ariana DeBose
We don't hang around here on the Empire Podcast. Less than a week after the epic celebration that was our 500th episode, we're already back in the podbooth, bringing you episode 501. And it's a belter, folks, as Chris Hewitt is joined by newly-minted BAFTA and Oscar nominee, the wonderful West Side Story star, Ariana DeBose, for a chat that takes in Spielberg, auditions, British accents, SNL, and Hamilton, but which is mostly concerned with Nando's, and the consumption thereof. We're also joined
#500 — Tom Holland, Joanna Hogg & Harris Dickinson, Brett Goldstein, Rachel Zegler, Kate Herron, Johnny Knoxville
Here it is, folks. A landmark episode deserves an epic running time. Welcome to the 500th episode of the Empire Podcast, recorded in front of a live audience at Kings Place, London, on Saturday, February 5, and featuring our most astonishing line-up of guests yet. There's Tom Holland (no, not that one), talking about Uncharted and spoiling the hell out of Spider-Man: No Way Home (seriously, maybe only listen to this pod after you've seen that film)! The Souvenir Part II director Joanna Hogg and
Donnie Yen: An Empire Podcast Interview Special
The legendary Donnie Yen has been kicking all kinds of butt for decades now, in movies like Hero, Ip Man, Blade II, and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. His latest movie, Raging Fire (the last directed by Benny Chan) is out now on DVD, Blu-ray and digital, and to mark the occasion, Amon Warmann sat down with Donnie Yen for an engrossing in-depth chat. Which we present to you in full. Enjoy!
The Ranking: The Films Of Stanley Kubrick
Episodes of The Ranking are like buses. Not in the 'you wait ages for one, and then three turn up at once' sense (although we do acknowledge that episodes of this fine spin-off from Empire magazine, in which four Empire writers argue the toss about a series of films and come up with a definitive cough cough top ten, have not exactly been on the regular). More in the 'you get on one, and all you find is four people talking about Stanley Kubrick' sense. And if that's not your experience of buses,
An Empire Podcast Interview Special: Edgar Wright and Krysty Wilson-Cairns On Last Night In Soho
Edgar Wright's latest movie, the pulse-pounding, melon-melting, time-twisting psychological thriller, Last Night In Soho, is out now on all the formats you can think of (and some you can't), so you can watch it in the comfort of your own home. So now is the perfect time to bring you lucky lot the first hour of the epic TWO AND A HALF HOUR spoiler special interview that we recorded with Wright and his co-writer, Krysty Wilson-Cairns, when they came into the podbooth late last year. In this exceed
#499 — Alan Ritchson, Romola Garai
Reacher may say nothing, but thankfully Alan Ritchson -- the actor who steps into the shoes of Lee Child's man-mountain master detective, Jack Reacher, on a new Prime Video series called REACHER that launches on February 4 -- says plenty. He talks to Chris Hewitt this week, and tells him all about his audition for Reacher, acing Reacher's physicality, and what inspiration he drew from Child.
Chris also has a natter this week with Romola Garai, the British actress who makes her directorial debu
The Godfather At 50: An Empire Podcast Discussion Special
We believe in America. And we also believe in Francis Ford Coppola's seminal classic, The Godfather, which turns 50 this year. In fact, we believe in it so much that we've only gone and put it on the cover of the brand-new issue of Empire (on sale now!), along with an exclusive interview with Coppola himself, as well as many of his key cast members.
And, accordingly, we've decided to do a podcast in which we talk about The Godfather, and why it's still one of the greatest films of all time. So
#498 — Guillermo del Toro, Jamie Dornan
2022 is only a few weeks old, but this week alone sees the release of two films that are almost certain to be up there come year's end: Guillermo del Toro's atmospheric noir, Nightmare Alley, and Kenneth Branagh's wonderfully warm childhood tale, Belfast. And we're delighted to be joined on this week's episode by del Toro, who chats with Chris Hewitt about doom, black-and-white, and Bradley Cooper's eyes; and Belfast star Jamie Dornan, who goes full Norn Iron with Helen O'Hara. Who, despite her
#497 — Ming-Na Wen, George MacKay
This week, the Empire Podcast opens The Book Of The Book Of Boba Fett, as Chris Hewitt has a fun chat with Fennec Shand herself, the wonderful Ming-Na Wen. They talk about stanning Han Solo, smuggling artefacts off set, and interior design. And Chris also has an interesting and engrossing Zoom chat with George MacKay (or is it Georges MacKay?), the English actor who stars in the Netflix WWII thriller, Munich: The Edge Of War.
Either side of those interviews, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara and
#496 — Lupita Nyong'o, Bert & Bertie
We're back! After a brief break for the Christmas and New Year holidays (during which we somehow managed to produce a whole bunch of podcasts anyway, but let's not quibble), the Empire Podcast is back, and seeing in 2022 with a bang. Our very first guest of the new year is a cracker, as Amon Warmann sits down on Zoom with Lupita Nyong'o, star of The 355, while later Chris Hewitt has a natter with Bert & Bertie, the directing team behind episodes 3-5 of the excellent Disney+ show, Hawkeye.
Then,
Quentin Tarantino Interview Special
Here's a lovely little treat to bring 2021 to a close (or see 2022 in with a bang): a lengthy interview special in which Chris Hewitt sits down (in an actual hotel room; this was actually our first in-person interview since the pandemic began) with the legendary Quentin Tarantino for an in-depth chat about Tarantino's decision to turn Once Upon A Time In Hollywood into a novel, his creative process, his relationship with his characters, his future plans, and much, much more. So, sit down, set as
Review Of The Year 2021
Happy New Year, listeners! 2021 has been a right old bangily-banger of a year, and no mistake, but it's also been a cracking year, cinematically speaking. And in this bumper-sized end of the year round-up edition, Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and Ben Travis talk about the filmic highs and lows of the year that was. And, apart from one fairly sizeable section between 01:13:07.500 and 01:32:24.545, it's relatively spoiler-free, and culminates in the now traditional rundown of Team Empir
A Very Christmassy Empire Podcast Part Two ft. Julia Ducournau and Adam McKay
Merry Christmas, listeners! Here, on this most festive of days, is the second part of our bumper-sized Christmas podcast that totally isn't a regular podcast, no sir. In this edition, you'll have Sophie Butcher (making her pod interview debut!) talking to the brilliant French director Julia Docournau about Titane, and Chris Hewitt having a natter with Adam McKay about his new movie, Don't Look Up. You'll also have an extended reviews section, in which Chris, Helen O'Hara, Ben Travis, and James D
A Very Christmassy Empire Podcast Part One ft. Rhys Ifans and Tom Hollander
Ho-ho-ho, folks! The Empire Podcas team may be on a Christmas break, but that hasn't stopped the elves in our workshop from bringing you a couple of last blasts of podcast goodness just (about) in time for the big day. This week's absolutely-not-official-no-sir episode of the Empire Podcast sees Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and Ben Travis don virtual terrible jumpers for a bumper edition of festive film-related fun. First, they answer a bunch of listener questions about Christmas movi
#495 — Keanu Reeves & Carrie-Anne Moss, Paolo Sorrentino
Merry Christmas, you bangily-bangers! In this, the last regular episode of the Empire Podcast for 2021 (don't worry, though, there's a Christmas special to come next week, and the Review Of The Year on the 29th), Chris Hewitt enters the Matrix and sits down on Zoom with Neo and Trinity themselves, Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss, ahead of the release of The Matrix Resurrections next week. The only spoilers here are thematic ones, but if you're antsy, the interview starts at 00:27:47.104, and e
#494 — Steven Spielberg, Noomi Rapace, Andrew Garfield
This week's Empire Podcast is the penultimate episode of the year, but we've brought you some cracking early Christmas presents. First up, the legendary Steven Spielberg returns to the pod to tell Chris Hewitt all about why he's remade West Side Story, and his experiences working with Peter Falk and John Cassavetes. He also sheds some light on an Indiana Jones line that has been somewhat co-opted by the pod over the years.
Then, Beth Webb has a lovely chat with Noomi Rapace about her new movie
Mike Leigh's Naked: An Oral History
Mike Leigh's Naked may be almost 30 years old, but it remains as fresh, impactful, and timely as ever. Join your host, Chris Hewitt, for this very special oral history of the film, which has been re-released on remastered 4K Blu-ray by the BFI. Featuring excerpts from interviews with Leigh, cast members David Thewlis, Lesley Sharp, and Peter Wight, and crew members Dick Pope, Lindy Hemming, Christine Blundell, and Andrew Dickson, it's a celebration of one of Leigh's finest films, and one of the
#493 — Hannah John-Kamen, Riz Ahmed, Benedict Cumberbatch
This week's Empire Podcast sees a triple whammy of guests as Chris Hewitt natters away with three of Britain's finest actors. First, there's Hannah John-Kamen, who talks about being cold on set of her new film Resident Evil: Welcome To Raccoon City, her aptitude for fantasy, and singing with Steven Spielberg. Next up is Riz Ahmed, star of the touching sci-fi drama Encounter, who talks about that movie and whether or not he's moved to Los Angeles. And then Chris sits down in person with Benedict
Oliver Stone: An Empire Podcast Interview Special
Almost thirty years after JFK blazed a trail and called into question the facts surrounding the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas, Texas, on November 22, 1963, Oliver Stone is returning to the subject with a new documentary. JFK Revisited: Through The Looking Glass is out in cinemas today (November 26) in the UK and is, perhaps, Stone's final word on the subject of the Kennedy assassination, presenting his theory about what happened on that fateful day, augmented and enhanced
#492 — John Leguizamo, Adam Driver, Chloe Zhao
Another bumper-sized Empire Podcast this week, as Chris Hewitt has a fun and also impassioned chat with the great John Leguizamo, star of the new Disney animation Encanto. They talk about how Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote a rap especially for Leguizamo, about Latinx representation in movies, and that thing Benny Blanco From The Bronx did in Carlito's Way. (Spoilers for that film lurk within, so be careful!) Then Ben Travis has a natter about House Of Gucci, The Last Duel, Kylo Ren and more with the w
#491 — Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jeremy Renner & Hailee Steinfeld
It's a very musical episode on the Empire Podcast this week. First up, Ben Travis geeks out over Disney musicals with the great Lin-Manuel Miranda, who wrote the songs for the new animated musical Encanto, which debuts next Wednesday (November 24). Then Chris Hewitt sits down with Jeremy Renner and Hailee Steinfeld, stars of the new Disney+ MCU show Hawkeye (which also makes its bow -- heh, bow -- next Wednesday), and simply has to ask them about Rogers: The Musical. And other stuff as well.
Th
Spider-Man: No Way Home Final Trailer Breakdown Special
'Nuff said, True Believers! Because (three of) you demanded it, Team Empire managed to grab hold of the Eye Of Agamotto and squeeze out a chunk of time in which to discuss all the talking points thrown up by the second, and final, trailer for Spider-Man: No Way Home. Join Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara and Ben Travis as they do a deepish dive into the trailer, advance some wild theories for the finished film (and the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe), and speculate on whether you-know-who and
Dopesick: An Empire Podcast + Pilot TV Podcast Deep Dive, In Association With Disney+
To herald the arrival on Disney+ of Dopesick, Danny Strong’s drama chronicling the devastating impact of the opioid crisis on America, the Empire Podcast and Pilot TV Podcast crews have, once again, set aside their differences and come together to have a good old natter. In this very special crossover episode, in association with Disney+, Chris Hewitt, James Dyer, and Beth Webb do a deep dive into Dopesick, which tackles the opioid crisis from the points of view of characters connected to the cr
#490 — Paul Andrew Williams, Rob Delaney & Ellie Kemper, Mike Leigh & David Thewlis
Another bumper bonanza of film-related film this week, folks! On the interview front, Chris Hewitt has a wide-ranging series of chats, talking first to Paul Andrew Williams, writer/director of the brutal and brilliant thriller Bull; then he recovers just in time from a vicious attempt on his life to have a fun natter with Home Sweet Home Alone stars, Rob Delaney and Ellie Kemper, in which Rob reveals just how far he'd go to please Andy Daly; and finally there are previously unheard excerpts from
#489 — Salma Hayek and Kumail Nanjiani, Kristen Stewart
This week's Empire Podcast is back in one piece, but that doesn't mean we're shirking on the guests front. First off, Chris Hewitt has a fun chat with Salma Hayek and Kumail Nanjiani, two of the stars of Marvel's newest flick, Eternals, in which Halloween costumes, Salma's dad, and the scary-sounding Marvel Police are discussed. Then, Amon Warmann has an in-person, and very entertaining, chat with Kristen Stewart, the American actress who is tackling one of Britain's greatest icons, Princess Dia
#488 Part Two — Zack Snyder and Matthias Schweighöfer, Jonathan Majors, Andy Serkis
Part Two of this week's bumper, jam-packed edition of the Empire Podcast sees Chris Hewitt chat to Zack Snyder and Matthias Schweighofer, producer and director/star of this week's Army Of Thieves, the relatively zombie-free prequel to Army Of The Dead, about making those movies and the possibility of Snyder becoming the new Jane Fonda. He also sits down on Zoom with Jonathan Majors, star of The Harder They Fall, for an in-depth chat about that movie, and about playing He Who Remains In Loki.
T
#488 Part One — Edgar Wright & Krysty Wilson-Cairns, Huey Lewis
Just like Denis Villeneuve's Dune, this week's Empire Podcast is so epic that we've had to split it into two parts. In this first instalment, you'll get two of the FIVE guest interviews we have lined up this week, as Chris Hewitt talks to Last Night In Soho writer/director, Edgar Wright, and his co-writer Krysty Wilson-Cairns, about their working practices, food poisoning, and Sandie Shaw. And then Helen O'Hara hits a mighty power chord and chats to the legendary Huey Lewis about the new Back To
#487 — Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson, James Marsden
The spice must flow on this week's Empire Podcast. The spice of chat, that is! We have three belting interviews lined up for you lucky lot this week, as Chris Hewitt talks to The Guilty star Jake Gyllenhaal in which one of them threatens to go topless; Dune's Lady Jessica herself, Rebecca Ferguson, during which she and Chris hatch a new get-rich-quick scheme; and James Marsden, star of The Boss Baby 2. And, as the original big screen Cyclops, naturally the interview ends with Chris showing Marsd
The Very Best Of What If...? ft. A.C Bradley and Bryan Andrews
Now that the first season of What If...?, the animated MCU show that told alternate tales from across the Multiverse, has finished its run on Disney+, it's time for Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, Ben Travis, and Amon Warmann to enter the virtual podbooth and have a good old natter about their favourite moments from the series. But that's not all — we also have the show's head writer, A.C. Bradley, and director Bryan Andrews, on hand to fill in the motivations and meanings behind some of the series'
#486 — Jamie Lee Curtis, Jim Cummings, Todd Haynes
Yes, folks, we know that this week's Empire Podcast is a long 'un, but in fairness it's still three minutes shorter than No Time To Die, and is so packed with podcast goodness that we barely know where to begin. On the interview front, there are cracking conversations as Chris Hewitt sits down with the legendary Jamie Lee Curtis to talk about returning as Laurie Strode in Halloween Kills. You may be surprised to hear that this one gets pretty serious, and pretty emotional. Which is not the case
The Phantom Of The Open: An Empire Podcast London Film Festival Special
The BFI London Film Festival is happening AS YOU READ THIS, folks. And, as proud media partners, we at Empire were delighted to present this week's gala world premiere of Craig Roberts' The Phantom Of The Open, a heartwarming and hilarious tale of Maurice Flitcroft (Mark Rylance), a keen amateur golfer who gatecrashed the British Open in 1976 with spectacular results.
And we didn't want to leave it there, so in this special episode Chris Hewitt catches up on Zoom (just a few hours ahead of the
#485 — Rebecca Hall
How do you get Rebecca Hall on the Empire Podcast? Practice! Yes folks, in the week that the London Film Festival throws opens its doors to the world, Chris Hewitt has a natter with Rebecca Hall, the writer-director of the compelling drama, Passing, which is playing at the Festival. They talk about the personal connection Rebecca felt to the story, which is about an African-American woman passing herself off as white in 1920s America, and what she inherited as a director from her father, the leg
#484 — Daniel Craig, Rami Malek
Wake up... No Time To Die! Yes, this week finally sees the release of the final film in Daniel Craig's five-movie stint as James Bond, and to celebrate the occasion Chris Hewitt sits down for chats with both a relaxed and convivial Craig and his villainous counterpart, Rami Malek, who plays new Bond baddie, Safin. Do we expect you to listen? Well, ideally.
Either side of those, Chris hits the virtual podbooth due to a touch of lurgy, where he's joined by James Dyer and Beth Webb for a fun epis
#483 —Sophia Di Martino, Alessandro Nivola, Destin Daniel Cretton and Dave Callaham
It's another big old bumper Empire Podcast this week. For reasons that are beyond our control (maybe have a word with S.P.E.C.T.R.E.), we're back on Squadcast, with Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara and James Dyer getting up very early (for them) to talk about the strangest places they've ever conducted interviews, discuss the week's 'fantastic' movie news, and review Sopranos spin-off The Many Saints Of Newark, David Lowery's long-awaited The Green Knight, and Everybody's Talking About Jamie. And, on
#482 — Karen Gillan, Mark Cousins
Where was this week's Empire Podcast recorded? *very Phil Collins voice* Stu-stu-studio! That's right, folks. After a year and a half of SquadCasting and podcasting remotely, this week's pod sees Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara and James Dyer gather in the same studio for some film-related fun. Join them as they natter on about the great reunion moments in movie history, discuss the week's movie news (Chris Nolan leaving WB? Hawkeye looks fun?), and review Gunpowder Milkshake, Kate, and Malignant. A
#481 — Phyllida Lloyd and Clare Dunne, Nia DaCosta
This week's Empire Podcast sees Phyllida Lloyd, director of the excellent drama Herself, sit down with her star and writer, Clare Dunne, for an interview with Chris Hewitt about how they pulled off one of the year's best films. And when we say she sits down, we mean it. They were sitting beside each other in Phyllida's kitchen. A sign that nature is healing, folks. Actual physical proximity!
Elsewhere, Chris is joined this week by Nick de Semlyen and Beth Webb for a fun episode in which they d
The Greatest Timeloop Movies: An Empire Podcast Special
Ever since Groundhog Day burst onto the scene in 1993 with all the force of Bill Murray decking Stephen Tobolowsky, we’ve fallen in love with timeloop films; those movies that trap their protagonists in an endless cycle and challenge them to improve themselves or get lost forever. And in this very special episode of the Empire Podcast, Chris Hewitt, Helen O’Hara and James Dyer discuss the greatest timeloop movies of all time, ask why it took so long for a serious contender to escape from Groundh
Celebrate Our Cinemas Episode 6: Elijah Wood
Celebrate Our Cinemas is a brand-new, limited-edition podcast series, brought to you by Empire in association with Meerkat Movies from Compare The Market. Each week, Chris Hewitt sits down with a notable guest from the world of film and digs deep into their cinema-going history. In this, the sixth and final episode of the series, Chris chats with Elijah Wood, star of a little trilogy of films called The Lord Of The Rings and upcoming drama No Man Of God, which launches digitally on September 13,
#480 — Lisa Joy, Simu Liu
This week's Empire Podcast sees Chris Hewitt sit down with Simu Liu, the title star of the latest MCU film, Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings, for a wide-ranging chat (1:18:17.675 - 1:36:05.820) that takes in Liu's time in London as a teen, his prediction for Avengers 20, and a heartfelt tribute to the late Brad Allan, the film's second unit director, who passed away recently.
Also this week, we bring you an excerpt (34:12.487 - 48.32.970) from James Dyer's epic spoiler-filled intervie
Celebrate Our Cinemas Episode 5: Sparks
Celebrate Our Cinemas is a brand-new, limited-edition podcast series, brought to you by Empire in association with Meerkat Movies from Compare The Market. Each week, it sees Chris Hewitt sit down with a notable guest from the world of film and dig deep into their cinema-going history. What was the first film they remember seeing? What film made them laugh so hard that tears streamed down their face? What's their favourite cinema? And, most important of all, what's their cinematic snack of choice
#479 — Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Jude Law, Farewell Terri White
This week's Empire Podcast is a sad, sombre, reflective affair. Not because the Empire Podteam -- Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, and James Dyer -- are particularly maudlin about the prospect of discussing the week's movie news, including the revelation that The Matrix 4 is now called The Matrix Resurrections, or reviewing (with the help of newcomer Katie Smith-Wong) Candyman, The Nest, Vacation Friends, Sweet Girl, and Our Ladies. And the interviews aren't laced with melancholy either, as Mike Munc
Spider-Man: No Way Home Trailer Breakdown Special
Because (some of) you demanded it, and because we probably won't have a lot of time to do so on this week's regular pod (what with saying goodbye to Terri White and all that), here it is: a podcast special in which Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, and birthday boy Ben Travis gather in the virtual podbooth and have a breakdown while breaking down the exciting teaser trailer for Spider-Man: No Way Home. From discussion of many madcap theories to speculation about Spider-Man's OnlyFans page, it's the po
Celebrate Our Cinemas Episode 4: Simon Pegg
Celebrate Our Cinemas is a brand-new, limited-edition podcast series, brought to you by Empire in association with Meerkat Movies from Compare The Market. Each week, Chris Hewitt will sit down with a notable guest from the world of film and dig deep into their cinema-going history. What was the first film they remember seeing? What film made them laugh so hard that tears streamed down their face? What's their favourite cinema? And, most important of all, what's their cinematic snack of choice?
The Walking Dead: A Preview Of The Final Season (ft. Angela Kang), In Association With Star On Disney+
As a wise doctor once said, "we're in the endgame now." Particularly when it comes to The Walking Dead. The eleventh and final season of the iconic, groundbreaking show is set to premiere from Monday 23rd August, with new episodes dropping every week as a Star exclusive on Disney+, and that is an occasion so momentous that, once again, the Empire Podcast and Pilot TV Podcast teams have joined forces with Star on Disney+ to talk about it. So, in this very special crossover episode, Chris Hewitt,
#478 — Asim Chaudhry, Niamh Algar
This week's episode of the Empire Podcast sees Chris Hewitt return from a short stint in Norn Iron, accent stronger than ever, for a fun episode in which he, Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and Amon Warmann play another round of the beloved The Three Fact Structure, talk about their favourite surgery scenes from the movies (spoilers abound, so tread carefully), discuss the week's movie news and, in a bumper reviews section that is the main reason why this week's episode is so darn long, cast their eye
Celebrate Our Cinemas Episode 3: Asim Chaudhry
Celebrate Our Cinemas is a brand new limited edition podcast series, brought to you by Empire in association with Meerkat Movies from Compare The Market. Each week, Chris Hewitt will sit down with a notable guest from the world of film and dig deep into their cinema-going history. What was the first film they remember seeing? What film made them laugh so hard that tears were streaming down their face? What's their favourite cinema? And, perhaps most important of all, what's their snack of choice
#477 — Jodie Comer, Jeffrey Wright
With Chris being off on.... *looks up the term* a 'ho-li-day', it's up to the lethally cunning Helen O'Hara and the consistently megalomaniacal James Dyer to hold down the fort alone, largely by dancing on the grave of the Three Fact Structure and plugging the Pilot TV podcast every third minute. Beyond that, though, Hell's Bells and Jimbo manage to re-cast the Discworld with members of the MCU and remake a number of 80s fantasies for the modern era (hypothetically, you understand - they haven't
Celebrate Our Cinemas Episode 2: David Arnold
Celebrate Our Cinemas is a brand new limited edition podcast series, brought to you by Empire in association with Meerkat Movies from Compare The Market. Each week, for six weeks, Chris Hewitt will sit down with a notable guest form the world of film and dig deep into their cinema-going history. What was the first film they remember seeing? What film made them laugh so hard that tears were streaming down their face? What's their favourite cinema in the whole wide world? And, perhaps most importa
#476 — Felicity Jones, Matt Damon
This week's Empire Podcast sees the podteam — Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara and James Dyer — return to the virtual studio after last week's live show. But that doesn't mean that they're phoning it in, or Squadcasting it in. Far from it. Instead, this is a jam-packed, fun-filled show in which the three colleagues of such lethal cunning discuss the best and worst movie disguises, delve deep into the week's news (which includes speculation about the new Doctor Who, as if this is an episode of Pilot or
Celebrate Our Cinemas Episode 1: Olga Kurylenko
Celebrate Our Cinemas is a brand new limited edition podcast series, brought to you by Empire in association with Meerkat Movies from Compare The Market. Each week, for the next six weeks, Chris Hewitt will sit down with a notable guest from the world of film and dig deep into their cinema going history. What was the first film they remember seeing? What film made them laugh so hard that tears were streaming down their face? What’s their favourite cinema? And, perhaps most important of all, what
Aaron Eckhart Interview Special
Aaron Eckhart has spent much of his career fighting not to be typecast as the all-American hero, what with his blond hair, blue eyes and chin that could level mountains. And he's very much succeeded in that quest with his new movie, Wander, in which he plays a paranoid private eye-turned-podcaster who stumbles upon what could potentially be a vast conspiracy. He's scuzzy, nervy, unpredictable, and a million miles away from films like The Dark Knight and The Core. And, as Chris Hewitt discovered
#475 — Edgar Wright and Sparks, David Thewlis (Live From Kings Place)
This week's (belated, so sorry about that) Empire Podcast is our first live show in aaaaaaaaages, as we headed to Kings Place earlier in the week to record, at long last, our 450th episode, in front of a socially-distanced, diligently-masked but deeply supportive crowd. How long had it been since we were meant to record it? Well, this episode also doubles as our 475th episode, which should give you some idea. (25 weeks, in case it wasn't clear.) But it was absolutely worth the wait, as Edgar Wri
#474 — Vanessa Kirby, Vicky Krieps, Olga Kurylenko
It's another triple whammy of tremendous guestitude on this week's Empire Podcast, as we're visited by three of our favourite actresses. First up, Chris Hewitt and Vanessa Kirby have a meeting of sleep-addled minds on an early morning Zoom call as they discuss Vanessa's new movie, The World To Come, and her plans to outdo Tom Cruise with an epic motorcycle stunt. Then, Dan Jolin chats with Vicky Krieps, star of M. Night Shyamalan's Old, about how working on a beach isn't all that. And finally, C
#473 — David Arnold, Sam Richardson
There's an old saying in EmpirePodcastland: while the Chris is away, the Three Colleagues Of Such Lethal Cunning will bang on about fantasy books, basketball, fantasy books, Star Trek, and even more fantasy books. Which is precisely what happens this week. With Chris Hewitt elsewhere, Helen O'Hara steps into the hosting chair and, along with Amon Warmann and James Dyer, bangs on about fantasy books, basketball, fantasy books, Star Trek, and even more fantasy books.
They do also talk about movi
The Walking Dead: A Season By Season Deep Dive, In Association With STAR on Disney+
With the eleventh and final season of The Walking Dead just around the corner, we’re getting all kinds of excited to see how the groundbreaking, landmark AMC show brings the whole bloody affair to a close. But first, we figured it would be time to look back at the previous ten seasons, which are now available to stream on STAR on Disney+.
And so the Empire Podcast and Pilot TV Podcast teams have decided to join forces with STAR on Disney+ to bring you this very special episode in which Chris He
#472 — William Shatner
OK, full disclosure. If you saw the name 'William Shatner' in the episode title and thought, 'yes! I bet the Empire Podcast asked him loads of questions about Star Trek and Columbo and Airplane! II: The Sequel and Boston Legal and generally being awesome!', then we should tell you that while that was the plan, sometimes plans can go awry. So yes, William Shatner is this week's guest on the Empire Podcast. And yes, Chris Hewitt had a lovely time talking to a living legend. And yes, they even talk
#471 — Vince Vaughn & Kathryn Newton
On this week's Empire Podcast, it's finally time to get freaky as Christopher Landon's excellent body-swap slasher movie, Freaky, hits UK cinemas. And what better way to celebrate than by listening to Chris Hewitt's chat with that movie's stars, Vince Vaughn and Kathryn Newton, in which they come up with other horror movie mash-ups? Annie Halloween, anyone?
Then, in the virtual podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer for a fun episode in which they talk about their favourite pe
#470 — Nathalie Emmanuel
This week, Fast 9 (the name may change, depending on where you live) is finally unleashed in cinemas after a delay of over a year. So that loud noise you may have heard during the last couple of weeks was almost certainly Fast & Furious megafan Ben Travis yelling, "MAGNET PLANE!". So when the chance came up to talk to Fast 9 star, Nathalie Emmanuel, we had no choice but to send Ben, and the two have a fun chat about fast cars, furious family, and Emmanuel's role in the upcoming Army Of The Dead
#469 Part Two — Jimmy Smits, Adam Wingard
In the second half of this week's genuinely bumper-sized, jam-packed Empire Podcast, the great Jimmy Smits jumps onto SquadCast with Ben Travis and Chris Hewitt, talking to them about his role in Jon M. Chu's adaptation of In The Heights, his New York heritage, and his skill with a lightsaber. Which you may even be able to hear. And, with Godzilla Vs Kong hitting DVD, Blu-ray and 4K this week, we bring you the opening ten minutes of our spoiler special chat with the film's director, Adam Wingard
#469 Part One — Milla Jovovich, Reece Shearsmith
Because this week's episode of the Empire Podcast has more guests than Glastonbury, we've taken the rare step of dividing it into two parts. In the first part, Milla Jovovich tells Helen O'Hara all about reteaming with her Resident Evil director, and husband, Paul W.S. Anderson, on the sci-fi actioner, Monster Hunter. And then Chris Hewitt catches up with Reece Shearsmith, and they have a good old natter about working in the middle of a pandemic, Bob Monkhouse, and Reece's terrifying turn in Ben
#468 — David Schwimmer & Nick Mohammed, Florian Zeller & Anthony Hopkins, John Krasinski
There are no fewer than *five* guests on this week's show as David Schwimmer and Nick Mohammed stop by to talk about the second series of Intelligence, while Florian Zeller and Sir Anthony Hopkins put down their Oscars to tell us all about The Father (an interview during which Chris and Sir Anthony stage an impromptu Edge-off). And John Krasinski talks all things A Quiet Place Part II in a sneak look at our spoiler special interview. All that plus the usual move news and nonsense as Helen (who's
Dominic Monaghan And Billy Boyd Interview Special
Dominic Monaghan and Billy Boyd are two men on a mission. And that mission is to enter the murky world of podcasting with their new show, The Friendship Onion, in which the two former Hobbits, and friends of two decades' standing, chat about whatever the heck they want to. And if that just happens to be Lord Of The Rings-centric, then so be it.
The Friendship Onion is a ton of fun, as is this interview, in which Chris Hewitt and James Dyer talk to Dom and Billy about all manner of things, from
#467 — Kate Herron, Jodie Turner-Smith, Cillian Murphy
It's another bumper, jam-packed edition of the Empire Podcast this week, with three incredible guests all popping in for a virtual podchat. With Loki about to debut on Disney+, we were delighted to welcome that show's director, and long-time listener to the pod, Kate Herron, who tells Chris Hewitt and Helen O'Hara as much about the show as she can without Marvel security guards having a word. Then Chris has a natter with the wonderful Jodie Turner-Smith about her role as Anne Boleyn in the three
#466 — Mark Strong
The wonderful Mark Strong returns to the pod this week, telling Chris Hewitt all about why he jumped at the chance to co-star alongside Emmas Stone and Thompson in Cruella, his greenscreen experiences, and how he became the voice of the government's Covid-19 protocol advertisements during the pandemic.
Either side of that, Chris is joined in the virtual podbooth by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer for an episode in which they revisit last week's question, and put a small screen spin on it; discuss
The Very Best Of The Falcon And The Winter Soldier ft. Malcolm Spellman
Excelsior! Just as we did with WandaVision, we've gathered the Empire Podteam — Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, Amon Warmann and Ben Travis — to talk about their favourite moments from the most recent Disney+ MCU show, The Falcon And The Winter Soldier. It's all here: talk of that bloody ending to episode four, the heartwrenching conversation at the, erm, heart of episode 5, and that bit in episode 2 with the marching band.
But that's not all. As well as four giggling idiots, the show's head write
#465 — Chris Rock, Sigourney Weaver
Two ruddy legends pay a visit to the good ship HMS Empire Podcast this week, both having a good old natter with Chris Hewitt (@ChrisHewitt) about their new movies. First, Chris Rock talks about switching from comedy to horror with Spiral: From The Book Of Saw, how it was his brainchild, his desire to direct again, and what classic film he'd love to try his hand at next.
Then Sigourney Weaver logs onto her iPad and tells Chris all about My New York Year, in which she plays a formidable publishe
#464 — Mike Rianda, Alexandre Aja, Darius Marder
This week's episode of the Empire Podcast is one of those jam-packed, bumper-sized affairs. Largely because we have three incredible directors guesting on the show. First up is Mike Rianda, whose animated marvel The Mitchells Vs The Machines, is one of our favourite movies of the year thus far. He talks to Chris Hewitt and Ben Travis about his experiences making the movie, providing a few voices along the way, and even reveals that he listens to the pod. We're so sorry, Mike.
Then, Chris has a
#463 — Doug Liman, Emily Mortimer
Doug Liman's Locked Down, the romantic comedy/heist thriller he shot in London during lockdown last year, hits digital download on May 10, so that gave us the excuse we've been looking for to finally post the interview Chris Hewitt did with Liman a few months ago. In it, they talk about how Doug flew himself to England, the challenges of shooting in lockdown, and Steven Knight's incredible, never-ending script.
Our second guest this week is the wonderful Emily Mortimer, returning for the secon
#462 — Emily Blunt and Jamie Dornan
Wild Mountain Thyme, the Ireland-set rom-com that stars Emily Blunt and Jamie Dornan, finally arrives on these shores this week, several months after the trailer first set the interwebs ablaze with much speculation and spoofing of the pair's Irish accents. And on this week's show, Chris Hewitt talks to Blunt and Dornan about the movie, about their accents, about working with Christopher Walken, and more in a fun interview that -- full disclosure -- has some sound issues. Still, we hope you'll ha
Back To Back To The Future: An Alan Silvestri Interview Special
Alan Silvestri is one of the finest composers working in Hollywood today. We could fill up this little box of blurb just by listing the movies he's worked on. Films like The Avengers, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame. Films like Predator and Ready Player One and Captain America: The First Avenger. And almost every single Robert Zemeckis film, from Romancing The Stone to The Witches.
Naturally, that includes Back To The Future, and Silvestri is deeply involved in Back To The Future
#461 — Aubrey Plaza
Aubrey Plaza, arguably the owner of the best deadpan delivery in the business, gets to put her skills to the test on this week's episode of the Empire Podcast, talking to Chris Hewitt about her new film Black Bear, about being interviewed by Adam Sandler, life after Parks And Recreation, and much, much more.
Then, in the virtual podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara, James Dyer and -- occupying the revolving fourth chair for the first time -- Vanity Fair's Joanna Robinson for a fun episode
#460 — Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart, Steve Guttenberg
This week's Empire Podcast is a) the right file, after last week's mix-up (if you still haven't heard last week's show, it's up now for your listening pleasure) and b) jam-packed with poddy goodness. John Nugent returns to the podfold after an extended absence, and has a brief chat with Wolfwalkers directors Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart about life on the awards circuit and more. Our second guest this week is 80s movie legend, Steve Guttenberg, who can be found in new movie Original Gangster. He c
#459 — Riz Ahmed and Darius Marder
On an episode of the Empire Podcast so uncharacteristically short it could qualify for inclusion in Sam Clements' 90 Minutes Or Less Film Fest, Chris Hewitt sits down with Riz Ahmed and Darius Marder, the star and director of the phenomenal Sound Of Metal, to talk about how they pulled off one of the year's best dramas (and, because it's about a drummer, drumas).
And then Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer to talk about more Easter egg shenanigans, discuss which movie monsters coul
Revisiting WandaVision ft. Jac Schaeffer
The Falcon And The Winter Soldier may be flying high on Disney+ right now, but there's still a lot of love and affection for its immediate MCU predecessor, WandaVision, at Empire Towers. And so we asked the show's head writer, Jac Schaeffer, to sit down with Chris Hewitt and talk about the creative process behind some of the show's best and brightest bits.
And that's not all — Chris is also joined by Helen O'Hara, Ben Travis, and Amon Warmann to look back on the show now that it's completed it
#458 — Kemp Powers, Francis Lee, Orlando Bloom
It's been a while since we've had a bumper, jam-packed, three-guest edition of the Empire Podcast. But, what with the long weekend coming up, we figured now would be the time to give you something to really delve into. Also, we booked loads of guests by accident. Oops! Will happen again.
Those guests are: Kemp Powers, the co-director of Soul and Oscar-nominated writer of One Night In Miami; Francis Lee, director of Ammonite; and some guy called Orlando Bloom, star of Retaliation. They talk to
#457 — Kate Winslet, Eddie Izzard
This week's episode of the Empire Podcast is going all out for awards. Yes, with voting about to commence on this year's British Podcast Awards entries, Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, and James Dyer turn on the waterworks and get to grips with some of the big issues that awards judges like to hear being debated on shows like this. You know, big questions like, 'what's your perfect Sunday?', 'how many Game Of Thrones spin-off shows are there?' and 'how many stars does Orlando Bloom's new movie, Reta
The Falcon And The Winter Soldier Interview Special ft. Kari Skogland and Malcolm Spellman
Now that Sam 'Falcon' Wilson and Bucky 'Winter Soldier' Barnes have ditched that do-gooder Steve Rogers and struck out on their own (well, together, but you get the gist) in the new MCU series, The Falcon And The Winter Soldier, on Disney+, we decided that it was time to give Steve's two BFFs their day in the podcast sun.
So, in this very special episode, Chris Hewitt chats to Kari Skogland, director of all six episodes of the show, and Malcolm Spellman, the show's head writer and executive pr
#456 — Liam Neeson and Micheal Richardson, John Lee Hancock
This week's Empire Podcast sees father-son duo Liam Neeson and Micheal Richardson, stars of next week's Made In Italy, sit down with Chris Hewitt for a soul-searching interview about how close to home that film hit for them. But, because it's us, there's some nonsense about accents and football too. Chris also has a chat with writer-director John Lee Hancock about his new thriller, The Little Things, which brings together acting powerhouses Denzel Washington, Jared Leto, and Rami Malek.
Then, i
#455 — Joe Manganiello, Shaka King
On this week's episode of the Empire Podcast, we're virtually visited by the true Nerb Emperor, Joe Manganiello, who tells Chris Hewitt all about his new movie, Archenemy, gives us a little tour of his geeked-out office, talks Dungeons & Dragons, and his plans to play Galactus. OK, the last one was maybe not so serious.
Chris also chats this week with Shaka King, director of the hard-hitting drama, Judas And The Black Messiah, which tells the story of the murder of Black Panther leader, Fred H
#454 — Eddie Murphy, Matthew Modine
It's a good time to be Eddie Murphy right now. After taking a few years off, he returned in style with 2019's Dolemite Is My Name, and this week reprises one of his most famous roles, as Prince (now King) Akeem in Coming 2 America, the long-awaited sequel to Coming To America. And now the man who is, quite simply, one of the biggest movie stars of all time, is a guest on this week's Empire Podcast, chatting to Chris Hewitt about returning to Zamunda, prosthetics, how the pandemic affected his pl
#453 — Wesley Snipes, Alex Winter
This week's episode of the Empire Podcast sees Chris Hewitt go on a rollercoaster ride as he has a natter about Meryl Streep, Eddie Murphy, and ice-skating uphill with Wesley Snipes, star of next week's big comedy release, Coming 2 America, and then pivots to talking docs and directing with Alex Winter, the former Bill S. Preston, Esq., about his new movie, Zappa, which tells the tale of Frank Zappa's life thanks to unpredecented archive access.
Then, in the virtual podbooth, Chris is joined b
#452 -- Hugh Bonneville, Rosamund Pike
This week's Empire Podcast is brought to you even remotely in lockdown than usual (all will be revealed within), as Chris Hewitt convenes over Squadcast with Helen O'Hara and James Dyer for another, we're told, fun-filled episode. As well as talking about Helen's new book, Women Vs Hollywood, and a particular Empire milestone for Chris, our three colleagues of such lethal cunning talk about the week's movie news, review I Care A Lot, Willy's Wonderland and The Map Of Tiny Perfect Things, and ans
#451 — George C. Wolfe, Juno Temple
We may have missed George C. Wolfe, director of Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, when it first hit Netflix just before Christmas, but with the film one of the major awards contenders, we put that right in this week's episode, as Amon Warmann sits down for a chat with him about the movie, its impact, and working with the late Chadwick Boseman.
Our second guest this week is the wonderful British actress, Juno Temple, who talks to Chris Hewitt about her Justin Timberlake experience on the new film, Palm
#450 — Kevin Macdonald, Paul Greengrass
Happy birthday to us! It's a landmark episode for the Empire Podcast, folks, as we go 450 up. Due to the pandemic, this episode isn't a live show, as had been originally intended, but that will happen, we promise you. But it's a cracking episode, as Chris Hewitt, James Dyer, and Helen O'Hara take a little trip down memory lane to recall the early days of the pod. Then they also discuss the best stock market movies, indulge in a lightning round of the Three Fact Structure, discuss the week's movi
A Celebration Of Cinema: Edgar Wright And Quentin Tarantino In Conversation
The new issue of Empire, curated by Edgar Wright, features a celebration of the type of amazing movie-going moment that can shake an audience to its very foundations. It features contributions from some of the biggest names in the business, and is so special that we decided that we would only do a companion podcast if we could make it just as special. We think we've succeeded.
Join your host, Chris Hewitt, for this incredible THREE-HOUR behemoth, in which Edgar Wright (in London) and his good
#449 — Edgar Wright
In case you haven't already bought (and read) this month's issue of Empire magazine, which is a colossal celebration of those incredible movie moments that are best enjoyed with an audience in an actual cinema, Edgar Wright -- who orchestrated the whole shebang -- drops by this episode to tell Chris Hewitt all about it. They talk about Edgar's status as Empire's new unpaid intern, the decision to push Last Night In Soho back by a few months, his upcoming music documentary about Sparks, and how t
#448 — Isla Fisher, Rose Matafeo
This week's Empire Podcast goes Down Under -- metaphorically speaking, of course -- as Chris Hewitt has fun-filled chats with two wonderful Antipodean actors. First off, there's Isla Fisher, the Australian star of Blithe Spirit, who tells Chris all about her affinity for accents, Hot Rod, and working with Judi Dench, while Chris makes an impromptu purchase. Then Chris has a chat, and a Kurt Russell quiz, with Baby Done star, the New Zealander comedian and actor, Rose Matafeo.
Then, in the virt
#447 — Johnny Flynn, Kingsley Ben-Adir
This week's Empire Podcast features two interviews with fast-rising British stars, both of whom play icons in films released this week. First off, Chris Hewitt has a chat with actor-musician Johnny Flynn about his experiences playing David Bowie in Stardust, and later has a natter with Kingsley Ben-Adir about playing Malcolm X in Regina King's sensational directorial debut, One Night In Miami.
Then, Chris is joined in the virtual podbooth by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer to discuss their favouri
#446 — Wil Wheaton
We're back! Despite popular demand, the Empire Podcast returns, refreshed after its Christmas break, and ready to tackle 2021. Or, at the very least, trip up 2021 when it isn't looking.
In the first episode of the year, Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and Ben Travis discuss what they got up to over the long break, and their favourite film-related Christmas presents. They also play another round of The Three Fact Structure, answer listener questions, discuss the latest movie news, and r
The Empire Podcast Review Of 2020
And so, as the worst year in living memory draws to a close, Team Empire gathers together (virtually, at least) to have a good old natter about it from a cinematic point of view. In this bumper-sized example of 2020 vision, Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, Ben Travis, and Terri White answer listener questions about the year that was, talk about their personal highlights (and lowlights) in the face of the Covid pandemic that rocked the world and has posed such a huge threat to cinemas around the world
#445 Part Two — Colman Domingo, Glynn Turman, Michael Potts
Part two of the final Empire Podcast (special episodes notwithstanding) of 2020 sees the podteam of Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara and James Dyer discussing the week's movie news (including an update on at least one of The Hollywood Chrises), and reviewing Wonder Woman 1984, Soul, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, and The Midnight Sky.
Chris also sits down for a fun, if slightly audio-compromised, chat with Ma Rainey's Black Bottom stars Colman Domingo, Michael Potts, and Glynn Turman, who talk about getti
#445 Part One — David Oyelowo, And Mystery Guest
The final episode of the Empire Podcast in this most accursed of years proved to be so big, folks, that we have split it in twain. In this first part, you will find Chris Hewitt reconnecting with pod fave, David Oyelowo, talking about his new movie, Come Away, and his approach to directing with his upcoming movie, The Water Man. This interview sees one of the two men incessantly impersonate Michael Caine. See if you can guess which.
Then, in the podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara and Ja
An Empire Podcast Special: Discussing The Disney Slate Announcement
"Who ya gonna call?" "INVESTORS!" Yes, folks, the annual tradition that is Disney's investment call, in which shareholders are reassured that Scrooge McDuck hasn't absconded with all of their cash, took place yesterday, and was a four-hour epic in which the company announced more than 50 new projects to be spread across some of their biggest brands. And, because you demanded it, in this Friday night special, Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and Ben Travis put their heads together and talk
#444 — Reginald Hudlin, Frank Marshall
This week's Empire Podcast sees Chris Hewitt sit down (across Zoom) with two directors whose first film came out 30 years ago, and who are back back back in the director's chair with new efforts. First up is Reginald Hudlin, the polymath who, along with his brother Warrington, made House Party, then tried his hand at a number of things, including producing the Oscars and writing Black Panther comics. His new film, Safety, hits Disney+ this week. Then Chris also chats to the legendary producer Fr
An Empire Podcast Interview Special: The Cast Of Host
Happy spookies, everyone! To celebrate the cinematic release of Rob Savage's savagely scary Zoom-based horror film Host (one of the best movies of the year, folks!), in this interview special Chris Hewitt jumps onto Zoom and has a natter with Haley Bishop, Jemma Moore, Caroline Ward, Emma Louise Webb, Radina Drandova, and Edward Linard, aka the cast of the movie.
It's a fun-filled chat, full of insight about how they made the movie, their reaction to its immense success and, while this isn't a
#443 — Harris Dickinson, Viggo Mortensen and Lance Henriksen
This week's Empire Podcast is a particularly bumper-sized (more so than usual) edition, largely thanks to the late-breaking news about Warner Bros' decision to release their entire 2021 slate of movies simultaneously to streaming via HBO Max in the US. So Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, Amon Warmann and James Dyer jumped back on and had a fairly involved chat about that. You can hear that in the news section, where they also pay tribute to the late David Prowse and Hugh Keays-Byrne. Elsewhere in the
#442 — David Arquette
This week's episode of the Empire Podcast sees Chris Hewitt chat it up a storm with David Arquette, star and subject of new documentary, You Cannot Kill David Arquette. The two talk about Arquette's return to the wrestling ring, 20 years after a publicity stunt for a movie saw him somehow end up as a world champion, his reasons for coming back to the Scream franchise as Dewey Riley, and why he seems to have taken the title of his latest movie as a challenge.
Either side of that, Chris is joine
Celebrating Carl Weathers — An Empire Podcast Special
We love Carl Weathers at Empire Towers. How can we not? Over the course of a career that has spanned almost 50 years, he has played some of the most iconic characters around. Apollo Creed. Dillon from Predator. 'Action' Jackson. Chubbs Peterson. And now Greef Karga in The Mandalorian.
And so, in the first of an occasional series, the Empire Podcast team — Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, James Dyer and Rocky superfan Terri White — get together to take a very special, and deeply affectionate, look b
Carl Weathers On The Mandalorian — Spoiler Special Sneak Peek
Carl Weathers is our very special guest on our latest Mandalorian spoiler special episode this week — and if you haven't signed up yet, here's a little Baby Yoda-centric excerpt that might just twist your arm. Don't listen to it if you haven't seen Chapter 12 (The Siege), mind! And then after that there's a brief bit from the episode in which Team Empire — Helen O'Hara, Chris Hewitt, Ben Travis, and James Dyer — talk even more Baby Yoda. That's all we do: talk Baby Yoda, and baked goods.
Go to
#441 — M.J. Bassett
This week's episode of the Empire Podcast sees us go rogue with M.J. Bassett, the director of new VOD title Rogue, in which Megan Fox does battle with a very angry lion. M.J. chats with Chris Hewitt about making the movie, working with Megan Fox, making her peace with a negative Empire review of her first movie, Death Watch, and coming face to face with a black mamba.
Then, in the virtual podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and Beth Webb for an episode in which they discuss
#440 — Lee Child & Andrew Child
This week's Empire Podcast sees one of Chris Hewitt's favourite writers, Lee Child, the man who created Jack Reacher, drop by the virtual podbooth to talk about the 25th Reacher novel, The Sentinel. But he also brings his younger brother, Andrew Grant (now Child), who co-wrote the book, to talk about handing over the reins of Reacher, the Amazon Prime show that's in the works, and much, much more.
Then, in the podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara, Amon Warmann, and Ben Travis to talk abou
#439 — Josh Hartnett, Emily Mortimer
Josh Hartnett was born in America, but now lives in England. Emily Mortimer was born in England, but now lives in America. That's not why we asked them both to guest on this week's Empire Podcast. That's just an incidental fact with which you can amuse your friends and dazzle your enemies. But they do both guest on this week's show, talking to Chris Hewitt about Target Number One, getting a bottle of wine from Sofia Coppola, and writing (Josh), and Relic, retaining your accent after years of liv
#438 — Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart, Sope Dirisu
As luck, or the devilish machinations of our dark lord Beelzebub, would have it, this week's episode of the Empire Podcast is, if you count all our specials and one-offs, our 666th. It's all for you Damien etc. etc.
And, as it lands one day before Halloween, it's a suitably spooky ep, as Chris Hewitt has a chat with fast-rising British actor Sope Dirisu, star of the fabulous Netflix horror movie, His House. They also talk about Sope's breakout year, his role in Gangs Of London, his former life
#437 — Olivia Cooke
Is Olivia Cooke a psychopath? What, exactly, does her mum keep on a corkboard in her Manchester home? Where did her Irish accent come from for her new film, Pixie? These burning questions, and more, are explored by the British actor as she guests on this week's episode, having a fun chat with Chris Hewitt about all this, her love for Spielberg's Hook, and much more. It starts at 00:45:08.333, ends at 01:08:38.450.
Then, in the virtual podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara, Ben Travis, and J
#436 — Kevin Bacon
This week's Empire Podcast brings us all one degree closer to Kevin Bacon, as the star of You Should Have Left zooms in for a remotely-distanced chat with Chris Hewitt in which the pair talk about Bacon's reunion with writer/director David Koepp, those EE commercials he does, Tremors, and more.
Then, in the virtual podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara, Amon Warmann, and James Dyer for another impromptu, off-the-cuff edition of The Three Fact Structure, discussion of the best movie prosthe
In Conversation With Soul's Pete Docter, Kemp Powers and Dana Murray -- a BFI London Film Festival Special
One of the standouts of this year's BFI London Film Festival -- which runs until this Sunday -- was the UK premiere of Soul, the latest slice of dizzying and dazzling Disney/Pixar brilliance from director Pete Docter. In this very special interview episode, Chris Hewitt Zooms into a chat with Docter and his co-writer/director, Kemp Powers, and producer Dana Murray for a wide-ranging chat about the inspirations behind the film, the secret fears that drive them as artists, the recent announcement
#435 — Miranda July, Rose Glass and Morfydd Clark
With Halloween just around the corner (followed by an unsatisfying reboot, no doubt), the Empire Podcast is turning its attention to scary fillums this week, and they don't come much more scary than Rose Glass' astonishing debut, Saint Maud. Glass, and her star, the wonderful Morfydd Clark, both chat to our Ben Travis in this week's episode. And the not-in-any-way-scary-but-still-great crime comedy-drama, Kajillionaire, is also out this week, marking the return of writer-director Miranda July af
#434 — Simon Farnaby, David Morrissey
On another bumper edition of the Empire Podcast, Paddington 2 co-writer and one of BBC's Ghosts, Simon Farnaby, tells Chris Hewitt all about his debut as a children's author, The Wizard In My Shed, while also branching out is David Morrissey, who has launched his very own podcast, Who Am I This Time?, in which he discusses key roles with actors like Alan Cumming, Liz Carr, and David Harewood. Chris' interview with Morrissey (the actor, not the singer) is taken from our one-off live show last wee
Chadwick Boseman — An Empire Podcast Special
In this very special edition of the Empire Podcast, Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara and Amon Warmann are joined by Sam Clements, host of Picturehouse Cinemas' The Love Of Cinema podcast, for an in-depth discussion of the career of the great Chadwick Boseman, whose untimely death in August left behind an indelible cinematic legacy. In this episode, the podteam pay a heartfelt tribute to a truly great actor, as they discuss everything from 42 to Da 5 Bloods and, of course, the incredible cultural impac
#433 — Henry Cavill, Henry Golding
We hope you like Henrys, because this week's Empire Podcast brings you not one, but two actors of that name. Hooray! First there's Henry Cavill, who tells Chris Hewitt all about becoming Sherlock Holmes for the fun Netflix caper Enola Holmes, and they talk about some other stuff as well (but not, probably, the stuff you'd expect us to ask him about... oops!). And then, just for good measure, another impossibly charming, improbably handsome British Henry pops onto SquadCast for a chat with Chris.
#432 -- Sarah Gavron & Bukky Bakray
The first thing you should know about this week's episode of the Empire Podcast is that we talk about Rocks on it. And Rocks rocks. The second thing you should know is that Chris Hewitt talks to Sarah Gavron and Bukky Bakray, the director and star of that movie, which is one of the best British films in yonks. And the third thing you should know is that that interview is a lot of fun.
The fourth thing you should know is that this week Chris is not just joined in the podbooth by Helen O'Hara an
#431 — Ewan McGregor
In what is sure to be The Bee Gees' favourite episode of the Empire Podcast, it's Ewan again as Chris Hewitt has a chat with Ewan McGregor about returning to the small screen with Long Way Up, in which McGregor reteams with Charley Boorman for another epic motorbike odyssey. Ewan also talks about his penchant for reflective roles of late, including the upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi limited series, and dishes on the return of a fan-favourite Star Wars character. Maybe. Possibly.
Then, in the virtual
#430 — Steve Coogan
We're not usually happy to see another podcast enter this increasingly crowded market, but we'll make an exception for Alan Partridge. This week sees the launch of the first Partridgecast, an Audible Original series entitled Alan Partridge: From The Oasthouse, and to mark the occasion, Chris Hewitt has a very special Zoom audience with the man who is Alan, Steve Coogan. Needless to say, you'll have the last laugh.
Then, in an episode that flips the pod-format on its head, Chris is joined by Hel
#429 — Amy Seimetz, Annette Bening
Bona fide Hollywood legend Annette Bening steps into our custom-built virtual podbooth this week, telling Chris Hewitt all about her new film, Hope Gap. The duo also talk about dancing, Dick Van Dyke, and being pulled over by the accent police. Chris also talks to Amy Seimetz, the talented writer/director of the pitch-black comedy-horror, She Dies Tomorrow, about recruiting her cast, Twitter, and the infectiousness of ideas.
Either side of those, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, an
#428 — Andre Ovredal, Jay Baruchel
This week's Empire Podcast sees two genre directors step into our Interviewtrona3000 for a Paxman-like grilling from Chris Hewitt. First, Mortal director André Øvredal (as in, he's the director of Mortal; he's also mortal, we reckon, but that's irrelevant) talks Norse mythology, Stephen King and Draclier with Chris. And then actor/director Jay Baruchel talks about his blood-soaked meta-horror Random Acts Of Violence, aka How To Dismember Your Dragon, and recalls his last visit to the cinema. It
Joe and Anthony Russo Interview Special
The second of our too-long-for-the-regular-Empire-Podcast interviews this week sees Joe and Anthony Russo, the brothers who directed four MCU movies we may have talked about on the podcast from time to time, drop by the virtual podbooth for an extended chat with Chris Hewitt. They begin by talking about their new lockdown venture, the Russo Bros. Pizza Film School, all episodes of which are available on their Instagram and YouTube channels, but we spiral off from there into their filmmaking sens
Josh Lucas Interview Special
This week's regular Empire Podcast featured two interviews that were just too darn long, and just too much darn interview, to fit into the show. So we decided to bring you them both as specials this weekend. First up is an extended interview with Josh Lucas, the star of The Secret: Dare To Dream, which is now available to rent on PVOD. Here, he and Chris Hewitt talk about that movie, and how its principles appealed to Josh, plus how he's coping with lockdown, how Ang Lee continues to help him lo
#427 — Josh Lucas, Joe and Anthony Russo
This week's episode of the Empire Podcast sees our old chums, and directors of the biggest movie of all time, Joe and Anthony Russo, drop by for a slice of metaphorical pizza as they discuss their impromptu film show, The Russo Brothers Pizza Film School, with Chris Hewitt. Chris also has a lovely chat with Josh Lucas, star of The Secret: Dare To Dream, who talks candidly about his career, and how Ang Lee continues to help him, years after they last worked together.
Then, in the virtual podboo
#426 — Shailene Woodley, Seth Rogen
Another bumper, jam-packed edition of the Empire Podcast this week, as Chris Hewitt talks improv and R.E.M. with Endings, Beginnings star, Shailene Woodley, and discusses much with An American Pickle star/producer Seth Rogen, including a simple question: why do things always go south, and never north?
Then, in the virtual podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and Amon Warmann for a fun episode in which Helen fails to focus in the film fact section; they talk about great backgr
#425 — Gemma Arterton
One of our favourite actors and people, Gemma Arterton, is our guest on the Empire Podcast this week, talking with Chris Hewitt about her new movie, Summerland; how she never fully understands her characters; and her great new working relationship with Summerland writer/director, Jessica Swale, which now has both of them around a virtual keyboard, beavering away on a new script. That's from 31:33.483. Sorry we can't be more precise.
Then, in the virtual podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara
#424 — Sir Patrick Stewart
At the heart of this week's Empire Podcast is an extended interview with the legendary Sir Patrick Stewart, who talks to Chris Hewitt about Shakespeare, sonnets, stage fright, and the worst birthday he's ever had. They also talk about Patrick's new movie, Life With Music, in which he plays a concert pianist, and Patrick delves into his past for a spot of old Yorkshire dialect that has to be heard to be believed.
In the socially isolated virtual podbooth, Chris is then joined by Helen O'Hara, J
#423 — Sam Riley
This week's Empire Podcast sees the debut of the very last interview we recorded before we locked down, as Chris Hewitt chats with Radioactive star Sam Riley about playing Pierre Curie, being a cad for Ben Wheatley, some of his notable screen deaths, and how Empire got Sam into trouble at school. It's a fun interview — but be warned, spoilers abound for Radioactive. (See also: the internet)
Then, in the virtual podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer, as per usual, while the ro
The Last Of Us Part II Spoiler Special ft. director Neil Druckmann
While we wouldn't normally do a spoiler special for a video game, The Last Of Us Part II is no ordinary game. Therefore James Dyer, Nick de Semlyen and Amon Warmann all got together to chat about the game's major plot points and indulge in a little group therapy to help get over the trauma of actually playing it. We also invited the game's director, Naughty Dog's Neil Druckmann, to share his views and talk to us about everything from the big plot twists to the game's final ending.
We're also p
The 50 Greatest Movie Heroes — The Final Part
It's finally here — the last part of the epic trilogy of podcasts that wasn't meant to be a trilogy, but we got carried away and now have to pretend that we meant it as a trilogy all along a la Scream and The Matrix. Anyway, in this episode, Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, Amon Warmann, and Ben Travis argue the toss over the reader/listener-voted list of the 50 Greatest Movie Heroes Of All Time, as seen in the last issue of Empire.
And things get heated as they enter the top ten. There will be sho
#422 — James McAvoy
Mr. Sandman, bring us a dream! James McAvoy is the guest on this week's latest lockdown episode of the Empire Podcast, having a good old natter with Chris Hewitt about McAvoy's latest project, the Audible adaptation of Neil Gaiman's legendary comic book series, The Sandman, in which McAvoy plays Morpheus, lord of dreams. They also chat about McAvoy's geekdom, his Stephen King experience on It Chapter 2, his recent FIFA game with Liam Payne for Soccer Aid, and his starring role in cheap-as-chips
#421 Part One — Simon Pegg, Sam Neill
This week's lockdown episode of the Empire Podcast is once again so jam-packed with chatty goodness that we've split it into two parts. This is not the new normal, folks — we promise. Just something that will happen from time to time. Anyway, this half sees two of our favourite guests return for another bite at the pod-cherry, as Chris Hewitt talks to Simon Pegg about make-up, mental health and Pegg's new movie, Lost Transmissions, and hops on a trans-continental call with Ride Like A Girl star,
#421 Part Two — Werner Herzog
Can we offer you a libation to celebrate the closing of our shared narrative? That, sadly, is not what Dan Jolin nor Chris Hewitt said to the great Werner Herzog when they chatted to him for this episode. Chickens. Yes, the legendary German director, owner of the most distinctive voice in movies, is our third and final guest this week, and in the second part of the pod he is as delightfully Werner Herzogian as you might expect, as he talks to Dan and Chris about being in lockdown, making Star Wa
The 50 Greatest Movie Heroes — Part 2
In the second (and final...?) part of the podteam's countdown of the 50 Greatest Movie Heroes Of All Time, the magazine feature voted for by you, the listeners and readers of Empire, Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, Amon Warmann, and Ben Travis argue (and argue, and argue) the toss over the top 25. We won't give too many of the heroes' identities away, but let's just say that if you're a fan of impossible missions, gods of thunder and, erm, wonder women, you'll be happy.
And if you want to read the
#420 — Delroy Lindo, Maxine Peake
This week's Empire Podcast (once again brought to you in lockdown) sees two acting powerhouses have a chat about their craft. First, Chris Hewitt talks to Delroy Lindo about his incredible performance in Spike Lee's Da 5 Bloods, and then Terri White grills Maxine Peake mercilessly about playing the title role in Fanny Lye Deliver'd.
Then, in the virtual podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara, James Dyer and, in the rotating fourth chair, James 'Jaime Blanco' White, our man in LA, for a fun
The Greatest Movie Heroes — Part 1
It is a time for heroes. Or, more accurately, discussion of heroes. And we're happy to oblige. In this special edition of the Empire Podcast, Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, Amon Warmann, and Ben Travis gather (remotely, of course, because they're heroes) to go through the first half of the brand new, reader/listener-voted list of the 50 Greatest Movie Heroes Of All Time, as seen in the latest issue of Empire magazine.
From Chief Brody to Imperator Furiosa, it's a fast and furious discussion of th
#419 — Armando Iannucci, Joseph Gordon-Levitt
In this week's bumper-sized (so much so, in fact, we're wondering if we should have split it into two parts like last week) Empire Podcast, Chris Hewitt chats to Armando Iannucci, the co-writer/director of The Personal History Of David Copperfield about discovering optimism, and how hard it is to write comedy in the middle of a pandemic. And John Nugent talks to Joseph Gordon-Levitt as the latter returns to our screens with gripping plane hijack thriller, 7500.
In the remote podbooth, Chris is
#418 Part 2 — Rosamund Pike, Judd Apatow
On the second part of this week's podcast, you'll find the podteam — Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, Amon Warmann, and James Dyer — discussing the week's movie news, plugging the heck out of the latest issue of Empire magazine, celebrating our cinemas in the, erm, Celebrate Our Cinemas section, and reviewing Spike Lee's Da 5 Bloods, Judd Apatow's The King Of Staten Island, and Kenneth Branagh's Artemis Fowl.
On the interview front, Chris hears from Rosamund Pike about her incredible light-up lockd
#418 Part 1 — David Thewlis, Richard Armitage
How jam-packed is this week's episode of the Empire Podcast? How bumper-sized is it? Well, it's so huge — bursting at the seams with four — count 'em, FOUR! — interviews — that we have, for the first time ever (we think!), had to split the pod into two parts.
In this, Parte The Firste, Chris Hewitt chats to British actors David Thewlis and Richard Armitage (both of whom have their own microphones, throwing down the gauntlet to other thesps everywhere) about, respectively, Atom Egoyan's Guest O
#417 — Simon Bird
On the latest locked-down episode of the Empire Podcast, Simon Bird — former Inbetweener, current Friday Night Dinnerer — tells Chris Hewitt all about Days Of The Bagnold Summer, the charming comedy that marks Bird's directorial debut. It's an interview that features more Guess Who? chat than you could shake a stick wearing glasses, a hat, and a beard at.
Then, in the virtual podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara, Amon Warmann, and James Dyer as they get serious (for about five minutes) an
#416 — Eliza Hittman
On the latest locked down slice of Empire Podcast goodness, we welcome Eliza Hittman, director of the excellent Never Rarely Sometimes Always, who joins Helen O'Hara for a transatlantic chat about the acclaimed drama.
Then Helen joins Chris Hewitt and James Dyer for an episode in which they answer several listener questions, anoint some of the greatest visually impaired characters in the history of film, discuss the week's movie news, from the new Tenet trailer to rumours of Henry Cavill's ret
#415 — Jason Isaacs, Kumail Nanjiani
This week's slab of locked down, self-isolated, quarantined Empire Podcast sees the team — Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, and James Dyer — joined in the revolving fourth chair by one of our favourite people, the amazing anecdote machine that is Jason Isaacs. Jason joins the gang to talk about his new movie, Scoob!, life under lockdown as an actor, and reel off an array of incredible stories about his career. He also joins in with the new weekly film fact section, answers listener questions, and dis
#414 — Michael Smiley
Our latest load of locked down, socially distanced pod sees Chris Hewitt's accent get progressively thicker as he sits down for a chat over Squadcast with fellow Northern Irishman, Michael Smiley. The two of them talk about Smiley's work with Edgar Wright and Ben Wheatley, his Easter egg preferences (it was recorded a while ago!), and his delivery of the best movie line of the year (so far!) in the gory Elijah Wood-starrer, Come To Daddy.
Then, in the remotely recorded podbooth, Chris is joine
#413 — Tom McCarthy
This week's episode of The Empire Podcast: Mistakes Were Made sees Chris Hewitt have a chat with Tom McCarthy, the Oscar-winning director of Spotlight and the Disney+ film, Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made. And a right good old chat it is, too, as they talk about everything from Portland to Pixar.
Then, back in the remote, socially distant, virtual podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and Ben Travis for a rip-roaring episode that takes in everything from fatally cold film sh
#412 — Dave Filoni, Kitty Green
It's another locked down, remotely recorded Empire Podcast this week, folks. But it's a cracker of a show (in our humble etc.), as Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, James Dyer and Alex Godfrey dazzle each other with arcane film facts, discuss (in depth, so Martin Scorsese best skip this one) the Marvel Cinematic Universe's post-credit stings, talk about the week's movie news, and review The Assistant, Astronaut, and Ema.
And Chris chats this week to Kitty Green, the writer/director of the excellent
#411 — Gareth Evans
Gareth Evans, the directorial mastermind behind The Raid, The Raid 2 and Apostle, turns his attention to the small screen this week, with the launch of his blistering, bruising, bloody crime saga, Gangs Of London. And to celebrate on the show's launch day he became a member of a very different gang — the Empire Podteam, joining Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, and James Dyer for most of this week's show. And he even brought a fact for our brand new weekly segment. What a legend.
Along the way, the t
#410 — Ben Schwartz
This week's pod sees the team — Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and Amon Warmann — recording remotely once again as they discuss the week's movie news (note: this was recorded before the sad death of the great Brian Dennehy), review Stargirl, Coffee & Kareem, and Love. Wedding. Repeat, and tackle listener questions about their DVD collections and the best films-within-films. Also, the new fun fact section sees some major revelations, a huge tangent (even for us), and another brand-new na
#409 — Sharon Horgan, Prentice Penny
Our latest remotely recorded pod is the first to come with remotely recorded, socially responsible interviews, as Chris Hewitt has lovely chats from a minimum safe distance with Military Wives' star, Sharon Horgan, and Prentice Penny, writer and director of the charming Netflix drama, Uncorked.
Either side of those, Chris is joined-ish by Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and Ben Travis, as they talk the week's movie news (Marvel release dates ahoy!), review Who You Think I Am, Uncorked, and Trolls Wo
#408 — Larry Karaszewski, Scott Alexander, Ruth E. Carter
This week's Empire Podcast — recorded responsibly, yet again, from our living rooms of such lethal cunning — sees Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara and James Dyer joined by an old familiar face and voice: Empire's Editor-in-Chief, Terri White, taking a brief break from bringing up baby to slip onto the pod. Together, they discuss the week's movie news (there is some! Honest!), answer a bunch of listener questions, review The Platform, Standing Up, Falling Down (that's one movie, folks), and Four Kids A
#407 — Brett Goldstein
This week's pod sees the team — Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, and James Dyer — in isolation once again, but that doesn't stop them from reaching out to actor/writer/comedian/podcast host Brett Goldstein, who becomes the latest person to join the team for the duration of an episode. Together, this bold and intrepid quartet discuss the week's movie news and answer some listener questions, including the best video calls in movies, and the greatest single-location films. Then, when Brett has left the
#406 — Jesse Eisenberg
This week's episode of the Empire Podcast is the first to be recorded remotely in the various homes of our podteam, thanks to the Coronavirus crisis. But we remain committed to bringing you the podcast and so Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara and James Dyer gather around their individual microphones and chat about their self-isolation schedules, Easter eggs, how Covid-19 has disrupted Hollywood, the best speeches to wash your hands to, and much more. We also review (there are some!), Spenser Confidenti
#405 — Gugu Mbatha-Raw
This week's Empire Podcast sees Beth Webb chat to the wonderful Gugu Mbatha-Raw, star of this week's dramedy, Misbehaviour, about the 1970 Miss World pageant. And, thanks to some wonderful snipping from Editor Emma, you wouldn't know that Beth's microphone wasn't working during the interview. Thankfully, we haven't mentioned it, so we think we got away with it.
Then, back in the podbooth, Chris Hewitt is joined by Helen O'Hara, Alex Godfrey, and James Dyer for an episode that truly runs the ga
#404 — Live From Dublin ft. Liam Cunningham, Niamh Algar, Tom Glynn-Carney, Tom Vaughan-Lawlor, Nick Rowland
This week's Empire Podcast is another live show in which Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara and token English bloke, the award-winning James Dyer, rock up for the Virgin Media Dublin International Film 2020. In front of a packed crowd, they discuss the Coronavirus' impact upon the movie industry, in the wake of No Time To Die being pushed back; additional movie news including the unveiling of the Batmobile; review Onward, Military Wives, Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am, and The Photograph; and answer aud
The Ranking — Alfred Hitchcock
The latest episode of The Ranking — the magazine/podcast crossover in which Empire writers discuss the work of an actor/director, or a big old franchise/genre, and come up with the definitive top ten — is dedicated to The Master Of Suspense: Alfred Hitchcock.
Join Ian Freer, Nick de Semlyen, Beth Webb, and Neil Alcock as they discuss the themes that run through Hitchcock's work, his problematic methods, their favourite moments, leading men and ladies, and much, much more. Then stick around at th
#403 — Elisabeth Moss, Richard Stanley
We've got horror of all kinds on our mind this week at Empire Podcast Towers. First off, Chris Hewitt has a chat with Elisabeth Moss, star of Leigh Whannell's excellent update of The Invisible Man, and finds that she has blood on her hands. Well, feet. Then, Richard Stanley — making his return to directing with Colour Out Of Space after a looooooong time out — pops into the podbooth to natter away with Alex Godfrey about ouija boards, The Island Of Dr. Moreau, and getting stoned with cats.
Els
#402 — Justin Kurzel
Justin Kurzel is the director of fast-paced knockabout comedies like Snowtown, Assassin's Creed, and Macbeth. Sorry, serious and intense dramas, not fast-paced knockabout comedies. Easy mistake to make. And he's back with another slice of hard-hitting drama with next week's True History Of The Kelly Gang, which stars George Mackay, Essie Davis, Russell Crowe, and Nicholas Hoult in an attempt to tell the tale of Ned Kelly and his accomplices. And in this week's episode, he tells John Nugent how h
#401 — Emilio Estevez
He's the son of Martin Sheen. The brother of Charlie Sheen. But Emilio Estevez has always been his own man, starring in the likes of Young Guns, The Breakfast Club, Stakeout, St. Elmo's Fire, and many more in the glory days of the 80s. His latest film is The Public, a drama which he wrote, directed, and starred in, and on this week's episode of the Empire Podcast he has a chat about that, and much more, with Empire's Editor-in-Chief, Terri White.
Meanwhile, back in the podbooth, Chris Hewitt,
Greatest Movies Of The 21st Century — Listeners Special
Here it is, folks. As promised, here is the second part of our podcasts dedicated to dissecting Empire's 100 Greatest Films Of The 21st Century (So Far!). And in this episode, we throw open the doors of the podbooth to three listeners — Chad Armstrong, Christelle Brewster, and Luke Jones — who join host Chris Hewitt for a fun-filled and jam-packed countdown of the 100. Who thinks Paddington 2 should be higher? Who sings the praises of notable omissions like Gravity and, erm, Final Destination 2?
#400 — Live From Kings Place ft. Steve Coogan & Michael Winterbottom, Emily Beecham, Todd Haynes, and Christopher McQuarrie
Despite not looking a day over 398 episodes, the Empire Podcast has officially turned 400. And we did so with a blowout bumper celebration earlier this week at our spiritual home of Kings Place, London, in front of a sold-out audience. In this episode, you'll hear Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and Ben Travis discuss the week's movie news; review Parasite, Birds Of Prey And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn, and Dolittle; and take some audience questions.
But it's not j
The Greatest Movies Of The 21st Century (So Far) Podcast Special
The 21st century may only be twenty years old, but it's still borne witness to thousands of films. And so, as the third decade of the century begins, we decided to canvas Team Empire, and Team Empire Readers, to find the 100 films you deem the greatest 2000-2019 has had to offer. And, in this bumper-sized and fun-filled edition, Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, Ben Travis, and Empire's Editor-in-Chief, Terri White, chew the fat, argue the toss, pour scorn on some less-celebrated entries, and champion
#399 — Marielle Heller, Daniel Kaluuya, Bong Joon Ho
This week's bumper, giant-sized edition of the Empire Podcast comes complete with a trio of amazing guests. Helen O'Hara talks to A Beautiful Day In The Neighbourhood director, Marielle Heller. Amon Warmann has a chat with the legendary Bong Joon Ho about his Oscar-nominated cracker, Parasite. And Chris Hewitt sits down with Queen & Slim star, Daniel Kaluuya, for a conversation that features more pick'n'mix chat than you might imagine.
Then, in the podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen and James
#398 - Robert Pattinson & Willem Dafoe
We say a sad goodbye to Terry Jones and recall our favourite moments from across an illustrious career in Python and beyond; in news, we track who’s leading the Oscar race, catch up on the latest Marvel news, and try to make sense of the new David Lynch short; and review The Personal History of David Copperfield and The Grudge. Plus Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe stop by to talk about Lighthouses.
#397 — Jamie Foxx
He's played Ray Charles (to Oscar-winning effect), Bats, Motherf**ker Jones, Django, Ricardo Tubbs, and the President of the United States Of America. But this week Jamie Foxx — for it is he — faces his greatest challenge yet: appearing on the Empire Podcast. OK, we may have oversold it. But in a fun and insightful interview with our Chris Hewitt, Foxx talks about his new movie, Just Mercy, in which he plays a prisoner who's wrongfully imprisoned on Death Row. Give it a listen to hear Foxx talk
#396 — George Mackay & Dean-Charles Chapman; Josh & Benny Safdie
And 2020 was going so well... The Empire Podcast makes its triumphant (?) return with the first proper pod of the new year, and it's a barnstormer. We have four guests for the price of two this week, as Helen O'Hara chats to the directors of Uncut Gems (the best Adam Sandler movie since Murder Mystery), Josh and Benny Safdie. Then Ian Freer has a natter with George Mackay and Dean-Charles Chapman, the stars of Sam Mendes' astonishing single-shot World War I movie, 1917.
And, in the podbooth it
Review Of 2019 Special
2019. What a year that was, eh? It was the year when Avengers: Endgame became the biggest film of all time. It was the year when Martin Scorsese returned with a bang with The Irishman, and put the cat amongst the pigeons with his comments on Marvel. It was the year when Star Wars ended... for now. It was the year of indie triumphs, glorious documentaries, killer clowns, overseas triumphs, and much, much more. And it was the year when Team Empire crammed themselves into the podbooth to talk about
Anthony Daniels — I Am C-3PO Interview Special
Anthony Daniels has been playing C-3PO, the most famous protocol droid in the galaxy, for 42 years now, across nine Star Wars films, TV shows, and much, much more. The role has dominated his career, and his life — so much so that he's finally decided to record his experiences in the form of a wonderful new memoir called I Am C-3PO: The Inside Story.
In this very special episode of the Empire Podcast, Chris Hewitt invites Daniels into the podbooth for an extended natter about the book, Daniels'
#395 — Taika Waititi, Greta Gerwig, Matthew McConaughey & Hugh Grant
Ho-ho-ho, listeners! This week's Empire Podcast is the last regular pod of the year, and we've pulled out all the stops to bring you four — FOUR! — of Hollywood's biggest names. There's Taika Waititi, writer/director/star of Jojo Rabbit, which opens on January 1, talking to Nick de Semlyen. Then there's Greta Gerwig, writer/director/not star of Little Women, which opens on Boxing Day, talking to Helen O'Hara. And finally there's Matthew McConaughey and Hugh Grant, not writers/not directors/but d
The Ranking — Santa Claus In The Movies
Ho-ho-ho, readers! As an early Christmas present from us to you, our dear readers/listeners, here's the episode of the absolutely-on-schedule and not-late-at-all-no-you-shut-up regular series, The Ranking, that you've all been asking for. No, not the Star Wars one. Or the two-part MCU special. Or even the one about 1989.
Instead, this is the one where we discuss and rank Santa Claus in the movies! Yes, from Richard Attenborough in Miracle On 34th Street to, erm, Edmund Gwenn in Miracle On 34th
Rocketman Live Special — In Conversation With Taron Egerton And Dexter Fletcher
If you weren't lucky enough to snag a ticket for our latest live podcast extravaganza, then fret no longer — for here it is. A couple of weeks ago, we held a very special screening of Rocketman, the Elton John musical biopic, at Picturehouse Central in London. Why was it special? Well, because afterwards the film's star, Taron Egerton, and director, Dexter Fletcher, popped in for a chat with our very own Chris Hewitt. And what a chat it was, full of revelations (Al Pacino has seen Rocketman seve
#394 — Jonathan Pryce, Jake Kasdan
This week's Empire Podcast takes things to the next level. Mainly because Olly Richards sits down with Jake Kasdan, director of Jumanji: The Next Level, to hear how he made the sequel to the 2017 surprise smash, Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle. Also, the great Jonathan Pryce — star of The Two Popes — has a chat about that film, and more, with John Nugent.
Then, back in the podbooth, Chris Hewitt returns to host, and is joined by Helen O'Hara and (latterly) Ian Freer as they discuss movies that
#393 — Edward Norton
Move over, Kubrick. Step aside, Malick. It's been 19 years since Edward Norton last directed a movie, but he puts that right this week with Motherless Brooklyn, a detective noir that he also wrote, and produced, and in which he stars. Chris Hewitt sat down with him for this week's pod to talk about that long gap, writing monologues for Alec Baldwin, and looking like James Cameron in Alita: Battle Angel.
With Chris away on top secret business, Helen O'Hara steps into the breach for this week's s
#392 — Sam Claflin & Aisling Franciosi
This week's Empire Podcast sees a panicked and flustered Chris Hewitt (you'll have to listen to the show to find out why) sit down with Sam Claflin and Aisling Franciosi, the stars of Jennifer Kent's wonderful new film, The Nightingale. They talk about working with Kent, the perils of shooting in Australia, and Claflin talks about becoming one with nature.
Then, in the podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer to answer the first Christmassy question of the year, discuss the wee
#391 — Chadwick Boseman; Josh Gad and Jonathan Groff
This week's Empire Podcast is packed with Disney royalty, fact fans. First up, Chadwick Boseman takes a break from defending Wakanda to star in cop thriller 21 Bridges, and he talks about that with John Nugent. Then, Ben Travis has a really fun chat with the wickedly talented, one and only Josh Gad and Jonathan Groff about returning as Olaf and Kristoff in Frozen II.
Back in the podbooth, Chris Hewitt returns after two weeks away, and is totally over the cold that ruled him out last week, hone
#390 – Paul Feig, James Mangold
This week's podcast is brought to you by the letter 'L' and, fittingly, the directors of both Le Mans '66 and Last Christmas stop by to talk about their respective movies. Of course, all of that pales into insignificance compared to the Maclunkey controversy that played out this week, and our intrepid trio dive beneath the surface of George Lucas' latest bit of Star Wars tinkering in some detail. Plus we pitch ideas for Christmas movies and bring you all the usual movie news and nonsense you've
#389 – Stephen Graham, Roland Emmerich
Stephen Graham stops by the podbooth this week to discuss all things Scorsese for The Irishman. Not only that but we also talk to Roland Emmerich about Midway, midway through the podcast. Plus, with Chris away on his annual staycation, James and Helen debate the various merits of overlong movies, ruminate on the likelihood that Queen Latifah might kill us all and, ultimately, call upon Chris to quite literally phone in a review.
#388 — David Michod, Felicity Jones
This week's Empire Podcast is a rare two-hander as Chris Hewitt and Helen O'Hara hold the fort in the podbooth as the only two colleagues of such lethal cunning. They answer listeners' questions, bemoan the availability of old films ('old' here also being subjective), discuss the week's movie news, and review Doctor Sleep, The King, Dolemite Is My Name, and more.
On the guest front, it's another belter of a week. First, Chris talks to David Michod, the Australian director of The King, and then
The Greatest — Christmas Day Movie Guide In Association With Sky Cinema
Ho-ho-ho! Yes, listeners, it's that time of year again, when the nation turns its thoughts to Christmas Day, and the biggest question of them all: just what the elf do we watch on Christmas Day? Well, in this very special podcast, in association with Sky Cinema, the Empire Podcast crew — Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, Absolute Radio's Dave Berry and Sky Cinema's very own Alex Zane — have your back.
The idea is simple: we programme your Christmas Day viewing, from 10am through to bedtime (with tim
#387 — Jillian Bell
This week's episode of the Empire Podcast sees the podteam return, semi-triumphant, to the podbooth following their mini-tour of the UK (well, most of the UK — sorry, Wales). Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, and John Nugent are the three colleagues of such lethal cunning this week, discussing movie franchises that start with the weakest instalment, the week's movie news, and reviewing Terminator: Dark Fate, Black And Blue, and The Last Black Man In San Francisco. And all without the benefit of a live
Western Stars Special ft. Thom Zimny and Bruce Springsteen
2019 has been The Year Of The Boss. Cinematically speaking, at least. Bruce Springsteen may have just turned 70, but he's as creatively restless and dynamic as ever, as evidenced by his new film, Western Stars, which works as both a sublime performance of his new album, and a beautiful, profound insight into its songs and the man who wrote them. The film marks Springsteen's directorial debut, alongside his long-term collaborator, Thom Zimny, and rounds off a year that also boasts the likes of Ji
Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker — Final Trailer Breakdown Special
It's here. At long last, the final trailer for JJ Abrams' Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker — the ninth and final film in the Skywalker Saga — has arrived, and naturally it got the internet's tongues a-wagging. And, because you demanded it, here's the Empire Podcast's near-hour-long reaction to a trailer that's just over two minutes long.
So, join Chris Hewitt, James Dyer, Helen O'Hara, and Ben Travis for a fun-filled, fact-packed, frame-by-frame dissection of the trailer, with more wild theori
#386 — Jim Sturgess; Glenn Leyburn & Lisa Barros D'Sa (live in Belfast); Ruben Fleischer (not live in Belfast)
This week's episode sees Chris Hewitt and Helen O'Hara make a (very arguably) triumphant homecoming, as the Empire Podcast mini-tour rocks up for its final show as part of the Cinemagic Film Festival in Belfast. And they bring two Wee English Fellas — James Dyer and Ben Travis — with them for a fun-filled show in which they discuss the week's movie news (Batman! Murder Mystery 2! The Dolittle trailer!), review Zombieland: Double Tap, Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil, and El Camino: A Breaking Bad Mo
David Arnold And Michael Giacchino Interview Special
David Arnold and Michael Giacchino are two of the best composers in the business, with the likes of Casino Royale, Up, Hot Fuzz, Star Trek, Lost, Sherlock, and much more. They're in London to prepare for a special show at the Royal Albert Hall called Settling The Score, in which the two old friends will duke it out, rap-battle style. Only if a rap battle had a huge orchestra, and a little man waving a baton.
Naturally, we couldn't let them do this without nabbing them for a podcast, so in this
#385 - Ben Wheatley & Corin Hardy (live in Brighton), Sienna Miller
This week's Empire Podcast ably fills the gap in your lives that you didn't even know was there: the experience of listening to a film director speed-carving a pumpkin on a podcast.
Yes, this episode sees the Empire Podtour juggernaut roll into Brighton, where Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and Terri White discuss the week's movie news (Marty vs the MCU), review American Woman, Gemini Man, and The Day Shall Come, and answer audience Q&As. Oh, and local heroes Ben Wheatley and Corin Ha
London Film Festival Special ft. Ben Mendelsohn, Jimmie Fails, and Morfydd Clark
We love the BFI London Film Festival round here at Empire Towers. So, with this year's festival still in full swing, we were delighted to host our first ever Empire Podcast roundtable, in which Chris Hewitt talks to three actors who each have films showing at the festival.
In this engrossing, frank, and often hilarious chat, Ben Mendelsohn (star of The King and Babyteeth), Morfydd Clark (star of Eternal Beauty, The Personal History Of David Copperfield, and Saint Maud), and Jimmie Fails (star
#384 - Dolly Wells (live), Joaquin Phoenix (not live)
This week sees the first-ever Empire Podcast tour roll into Chris Hewitt's spiritual home, Liverpool. And, in a fun-packed show at FACT in front of a sold-out audience, Chris, Helen O'Hara and James Dyer discuss the week's movie news (including Spidey's return to the MCU), review Joker, Judy, and Good Posture, and take a whole heap of audience Qs.
They're also joined by Dolly Wells, actor-turned-director, whose train got into Liverpool just in time for her to talk about her first film behind t
The Greatest - Horror Movies, In Association With Sky Cinema
Do you like scary movies? What's your favourite scary movie? Two questions that have dominated conversations since the dawn of cinema, when people were terrified by the sight of a train coming straight at them. And, in this very special edition of the Empire Podcast, brought to you by Sky Cinema, Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, Absolute Radio's Dave Berry, and Sky Cinema's Alex Zane attempt to answer those questions, and one more for good measure: what is the scariest movie of all time?
From Hallo
#383 - (Not) Live In York ft. David Koepp, Craig Roberts
So, this week's Empire Podcast was meant to be the recording of our latest live show, in front of a wonderful, sold-out audience at CityScreen in York. However, due to circumstances beyond our control, the sound quality of the recording just wasn't good enough. So, instead, Chris Hewitt and James Dyer - just back from York - bundled into the podbooth at Empire Towers to record an emergency pod, along with John Nugent.
In it, they discuss several of the audience questions from the night before,
#382 - Live In Edinburgh ft. Jack Lowden
This week's episode sees the first-ever Empire Podcast tour roll into Edinburgh for a fun-packed show at the venerable venue, the Cameo, as part of the Edinburgh International Magazine Festival.
Join Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and Terri White as they discuss the week's movie news, review Ad Astra, The Farewell, and The Kitchen, and answer a series of questions from the sell-out audience. Also, local hero Jack Lowden, star of Dunkirk, Fighting With My Family, and Mary Queen Of Scot
#381 - Live From The London Podcast Festival ft. Colin Trevorrow
This week's episode is a live show which sees the Empire Podteam - Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and Terri White - embark upon their first-ever tour, starting in the far-flung city of... London. Kings Place, to be precise, just around the corner from the Empire office. Not exactly clocking up the air miles, huh.
Recorded as part of the London Podcast Festival, this typically raucous live show sees the quartet review Downton Abbey, For Sama, and Hustlers (complete with eye-watering tal
#380 - Hugh Bonneville, Laura Carmichael, Michelle Dockery
You are cordially invited to this week's Empire Podcast, in which Mr. Ian Freer, of Empire Towers, is granted an audience with Mr. Hugh Bonneville, Miss Laura Carmichael, and Miss Michelle Dockery, stars of the new motion picture extravaganza, Downton Abbey, based on the popular televisual entertainment of the same name.
Either side of that, you are invited to listen to the rest of the episode, in which Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, and podcast newcomer Jeremy Dylan, a gentleman of Australian ori
The Greatest - Star Wars Characters In Association With Sky Cinema
A long time ago, in a podbooth far, far away... four brave and hardy souls tackle a question that has long had Rebels and Imperial types scratching their heads: who are the greatest Star Wars characters of all time?
In the second instalment of The Greatest, an Empire Podcast limited series brought to you by Sky Cinema, Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, Sky Cinema's very own Alex Zane, and Absolute Radio's Dave Berry each launch an impassioned defence of their three favourite Star Wars characters. Th
#379 - Louis Leterrier, Joanna Hogg
This week's episode of the Empire Podcast features two very different directors. First up, Chris Hewitt chats to Louis Leterrier about his experiences directing the new 10-episode Netflix series, The Dark Crystal: Age Of Resistance, and switching from live-action to puppets. They also talk about Leterrier's experiences making The Incredible Hulk, the nature of directorial compromise, and dousing Mark Strong in gallons of fake elephant stuff for Grimsby.
Then, Ian Freer has a chat with the grea
#378 - Andre Ovredal, Gerard Butler
This! Is! Butler! This week's episode sees one of our favourite recurring guests, Gerard 'Gerry' Butler, pop by the podbooth to tell Chris Hewitt all about his new movie, Angel Has Fallen. Along the way they discuss Nick Nolte, the five stages of movie stardom, and Gerry tells an eyewatering story that has great pedigree, chum.
Also this week, Chris talks to Norwegian director Andre Ovredal about Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark, the Guillermo del Toro-produced horror flick that's set to make
The Greatest - Batman Or Superman? In Association With Sky Cinema
It's a question as old as time. Perhaps even older. Who is the greatest DC big screen hero: the Caped Crusader, Batman, or the Man Of Steel, Superman?
In this very special edition of the Empire Podcast, brought to you by Sky Cinema, Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, Sky Cinema's very own Alex Zane, and Absolute Radio's Dave Berry venture into the Empire Podcave and hash it out. It's all here over the course of a very fun 60 minutes, from impassioned paeans to Christopher Reeve to rigorous discussion
#377 - Simon Amstell
Former Never Mind The Buzzcocks host Simon Amstell, who used to host Never Mind The Buzzcocks, pops by the podbooth this week for an interview in which his stint on Never Mind The Buzzcocks isn't mentioned once. (Sorry about that, we're aiming for that SEO sweet spot). Instead, he tells Chris Hewitt about how he made his new film, Benjamin, and along the way they attempt the world's first director's commentary entirely from memory. It doesn't go well.
Then, back in the podbooth, Chris is joine
#376 - Gurinder Chadha and Viveik Kalra
On this week's show, we invite Gurinder Chadha and Viveik Kalra onto the pod to wax lyrical about The Boss or, more specifically, their new film Blinded By The Light - guaranteed to put a Springsteen in your step. Meanwhile, Chris, James and Helen stand up in defence of some underappreciated classics (love Kurt Wimmer's Equilibrium or GTFO) and Chris gives us his reaction to news of the upcoming Event Horizon TV series ("Do you see? DO YOU SEE?!"). Plus we review this week's film releases and, i
#375 - Nick Frost
It doesn't happen often, but this week sees the Empire Podbooth doors thrown open to allow the great Nick Frost - star of The Cornetto Trilogy, Paul, Cuban Fury, Fighting With My Family, and now Horrible Histories: The Movie - Rotten Romans - to pull double duty as both our star guest and a colleague of such lethal cunning.
So, this week Nick sits in with Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, and James Dyer as they answer a number of listener questions, discuss Nick's career, find out how not to be stars
#374 - Holliday Grainger and Alia Shawkat
This week's Empire Podcast sees James Dyer take a rare break from banging on about TV to sit down for a lovely chat with Holliday Grainger and Alia Shawkat, stars of the rollicking Dublin-set comedy-drama, Animals.
Then, in the podbooth, Chris Hewitt is joined by James, Helen O'Hara and Ben Travis to talk about movie heatwaves, discuss the week's film-related news*, including the Picard trailer and the sad death of the great Rutger Hauer, and review The Current War.
Lie back, turn on the fa
MCU Comic-Con Reaction Special
Because (four of) you demanded it, and because we finally found some free time to record it, and because we didn't want to bang on for ages about Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe on this week's regular podcast, here is a relatively short podcast in which Team Empire - Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and Ben Travis - react to and mull over all the big news from the Marvel Studios panel at last week's San Diego Comic-Con.
It's all here: discussion of Black Widow, The Eternals, Sh
#373 - Jon Favreau
This week's Empire Podcast is all about cats, jellicle and otherwise. Chris Hewitt has a lovely in-depth chat with the wonderful Jon 'Favs' Favreau, who's a cool cat, about his new movie as director, the live-action adaptation of The Lion King, which is about big cats, and there's a little of MCU business thrown in for good measure as well. Because Chris.
Then, in the podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer to answer a slew of listeners' questions, review The Lion King, Varda
#372 - Corin Hardy
He's a good egg, that Corin Hardy. He wrapped filming on Gangs Of London, the Gareth Evans-created TV show for which he's directed several episodes, on Thursday, and still found the time and energy to pop into the podbooth for a chat with Chris Hewitt about his... well, actually, Corin doesn't have anything to plug. So, instead, he and Chris talk about life for Corin post-Nun, working on Gangs, and do an impromptu John Carpenter episode of The Ranking. [0:50:33 - 01:20:03]
Then, in the podbooth
#371 - Will Poulter
We've been big fans of Will Poulter at the Empire Podcast, especially since he agreed to be one of the guests on our very first live show back in 2014. So we're delighted to welcome him back for this week's episode, which sees Ben Travis chat to Will about his new film, Midsommar, and much more besides.
Then, back in the podbooth, Chris Hewitt is joined by Ben and Helen O'Hara for an episode that takes in The Play That Goes Wrong, great movie weddings, the week's movie news (and there's a lot o
#370 - Peter Strickland, Himesh Patel
This week's Empire Podcast sees Chris Hewitt sit down with Himesh Patel, the former Eastender (as in, he was on Eastenders) who stars in this week's Beatle-centric rom-com, Yesterday, and they discover a shared connection. Plus, John Nugent has a chat with the wonderful director, Peter Strickland, about his new movie, In Fabric, in which fashion is, literally, killer.
Then, back in the podbooth, Chris is joined by James Dyer and Ian Freer to discuss production companies that changed their lives
#369 - Noomi Rapace, Josh Cooley
This week's episode sees Chris Hewitt welcome Swedish actress Noomi Rapace - the original Lisbeth Salander - into the Empire Podbooth for a fun, frank, and often filthy chat about her new movie, The Captor, her surprising taste in music, life as a Londoner, and much more. Also in this episode, John Nugent chats to Josh Cooley, director of Toy Story 4, about giving audiences a huge Buzz.
Then, in the podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer to talk about their favourite condimen
Kevin Smith Interview Special
Here it is - the full and unexpurgated (well, a little expurgated) recording of the time a couple of weeks ago when Kevin Smith chose to spend his morning off in London, following a successful live Hollywood Babble-On show at The O2, by coming into the Empire Podbooth to have a good old natter with Chris Hewitt and Ben Travis.
The first thirteen minutes of this ran on the Empire Podcast a couple of weeks ago, so if you want to get to the new stuff, skip past that. Otherwise, this is nearly 47
#368 - Asif Kapadia
This week's Empire Podcast sees the wonderful Asif Kapadia pop by the podbooth to have an in-depth natter with Chris Hewitt about his new documentary, Diego Maradona. No prizes for guessing what it's about - a tumultuous period in the life of one of the most brilliant, but controversial, figures modern sport has ever seen. And if you're wondering if Chris and Asif, two massive Liverpool fans, end up talking about a certain recent Champions League final win, well... yes. But it's early, so non-Re
#367 - James McAvoy
James McAvoy is always welcome on the Empire Podcast, and this week he returns to talk to Chris Hewitt about the role he's played most often in his illustrious career: Professor Charles Xavier. It's a role McAvoy is playing for the last time in X-Men: Dark Phoenix, and he runs through his Charley X Hall Of Fame in a fun interview.
Then, in the podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and Nick de Semlyen to talk about watching versions originale in France, discuss the week's movie
#366 - Charles Dance, Jim Cummings
Godzilla: King Of The Monsters may feature all kinds of mammoth monsters, but none are as impressive or towering as the great Charles Dance, who has a nice chat with Ben Travis about his new movie, working with Arnie on Last Action Hero, and more. [00.14.50 - 00.32.00] Our second guest this week, Thunder Road star/writer/director Jim Cummings, has a fun and frank chat with Chris Hewitt about working on a bargain budget, recording his script as a podcast (top hint), and sending a cheque to Bruce
#365 - Dexter Fletcher, Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever
On this week's episode of the award-losing Empire Podcast, Chris Hewitt finds that Rocketman director Dexter Fletcher has the Dwight Stuff as they talk all things Elton John. Plus our fearless leader Terri White sits down for a fun chat with Booksmart stars, Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever.
Then, in the podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara and Ben Travis to discuss spoiler culture, review Aladdin and Rocketman, discuss R-Battz and the new Chris Nolan film, and then shill like crazy for
#364 - Kevin Smith; Brian Welsh & Lorn Macdonald
This week's episode sees the host of the best damn movie podcast in the world sit down... with Kevin Smith. Just a little joke, there. No, we were delighted that the legendary Mr. Smith, in town following a sell-out live edition of Hollywood Babble-On at the O2, no less, found time to drop by our newly-built studio for a chat with Chris Hewitt and Ben Travis. This is just the tip of the iceberg - a longer version of this interview will be up as a special in a couple of days.
Then, Chris - a ma
#363 - Claire Denis
This week's Empire Podcast goes full arthouse, as legendary French director Claire Denis talks to Empire's Editor-In-Chief, Terri White, about her new film, High Life. And then, because nothing can touch the Empire Podcast without being corrupted, there's a bit where they both repeatedly say the word, 'f**kbox'. [00:35:29 - 00:56-09]
Then back in the f**kbox - sorry, podbooth - Chris Hewitt is joined by Helen O'Hara, James Dyer and, right at the end, John Nugent to discuss their favourite movie
#362 - Nicholas Hoult
We haven't seen Nicholas Hoult on the Empire Podcast for a while, so we jumped at the chance to talk Tolkien with him this week, sending Chris Hewitt along for a good old natter about Hoult's new movie, in which he plays the celebrated author, J.R.R. Tolkien. Along the way they talk about Hoult's handwriting, X-Men: Dark Phoenix, and much, much more.
Then, back in the podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer as they decide which animated movie casts they'd like to see in a live
#361 - Joe and Anthony Russo
We may be in the Endgame now, but don't expect to hear any spoilers from Joe and Anthony Russo, directors of the latest Avengers movie, and this week's Empire Podcast guests. Instead, they sit down for a chat with Chris Hewitt about the rigours of making a movie that's widely expected to be one of the biggest of all time, and their future non-MCU plans.
Then, back in the podbooth, Helen O'Hara takes the reins and is joined by James Dyer and Chris, who ran to the studio straight from a plane fro
#360 - Andrew Scott and Neil Jordan
Helen is in the driving seat once again on this week's podcast (although Supernatural nipple chat was mercifully kept to a minimum) as we dive into the *last* Empire podcast before the team sees Avengers: Endgame. And to celebrate that fact we not only sit down with everyone's favourite sexy priest, Andrew Scott, to talk about his new film Steel Country, but we also invite director Neil Jordan on board to discuss sex. And also Greta.
Nick De Semlyen and James Dyer round out this week's lethally
Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker Teaser Trailer Breakdown Special
Yesterday saw both the first teaser trailer and the announcement of the title of the ninth, and final, film in the main Star Wars saga. That title was The Rise Of Skywalker, and that teaser was a bit of a belter, reintroducing beloved characters, and posing plenty of big questions. Just as a teaser should.
And with Team Empire unable to gather in the podbooth yesterday, we had to wait until today - the morning after the night before - to assemble in Helen O'Hara's living room for an impromptu
#359 - Jessie Buckley
In this week's episode of the award-non-minated (that's the technical term for a show that isn't nominated for an award) Empire Podcast, Chris Hewitt has a good old natter with the wonderful Irish actor and singer Jessie Buckley, who is on sensational form as a Glaswegian country singer in this week's Wild Rose.
Then, either side of that, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara and Ben Travis to talk semi-nude Jude Law, discuss the week's movie news, review Wild Rose, Hellboy, and Mid90s, and -- becau
Malcolm McDowell A Clockwork Orange Special
Stanley Kubrick's controversial, thought-provoking, tremendously stylish A Clockwork Orange, now a mere 48 years young, bludgeons its way back into cinemas this weekend. And so Chris Hewitt jumped at the chance to interview its star - the king of the Droogs himself, Malcolm McDowell.
In this extended interview, they discuss McDowell's complicated and ever-changing relationship with the film, and with Kubrick himself; why Gene Kelly gave McDowell the cold shoulder; and what it's like to get a r
#358 - Zachary Levi
On this week's Empire Podcast, we say the magic word - Bangilybang! - and, lo and behold, Zachary Levi, star of this week's DC Comics adaptation, Shazam!, appears. He has a lovely chat with Chris Hewitt about grabbing his second chance at superhero stardom with both hands.
Back in the podcave, with Chris waylaid by that nefarious villain, Unforeseen Circumstances, Helen O'Hara leads James Dyer and Ben Travis in a spirited discussion of the week's movie news (Endgame footage! Joker trailer!), r
#357 - Kevin Costner, Tim Burton
This week's Empire Podcast features two bona fide legends of Hollywood, California, both having a chat with that bona fide buffoon of a town not too far away from Holywood, Northern Ireland, Chris Hewitt.
First off, Chris travels to Madrid for an audience with Elliot Ness/Wyatt Earp/Jim Garrison/We Could Do This All Day [delete as applicable], Kevin Costner, star of Netflix film, The Highwaymen. Then, back in a London hotel room, Chris comes face to face with the wild, weird, and wacky imagina
#356 - Ralph Fiennes and Oleg Ivenko; Winston Duke
This week's Empire Podcast sees something of a first for the show. No, it's not coherent - you should know by now that that is but a mere pipe dream. Instead, it's the first time (we think; we may be wrong) that we've featured a translator on the show, as Nick de Semlyen chats to The White Crow's director, Ralph Fiennes, its star, Oleg Ivenko... and Oleg's lovely translator.
Then, Chris Hewitt has an in-depth chat about Us and Black Panther with the wonderful Winston Duke, before heading back
#355 - Andrew Garfield
Since he stopped being the friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man, Andrew Garfield has largely taken a step back from the big screen. But he returns this week with David Robert Mitchell's gonzo noir, Under The Silver Lake, and on the latest Empire Podcast he has a nice old natter with Ben Travis about that movie, Scorsese, and Stan Lee. 'Nuff said, True Believers.
Then, back in the podbooth, with Chris Hewitt absolutely, positively not available for recording, Helen O'Hara steps ably into the breac
Avengers: Endgame Final Trailer Breakdown Special
Because (somewhere around a dozen of) you demanded it, here it is: a podcast about a trailer. But not just any trailer. In this very special episode, Chris Hewitt and Helen O'Hara pop into the podbooth to discuss and dissect the second, and final trailer, for Avengers: Endgame. Along the way they come up with all kinds of harebrained theories about what Joe and Anthony Russo may have in store for us when the movie opens next month, call Thanos all kinds of rude names, and discover the meaning of
#354 - Ricky Gervais, Samuel L. Jackson
It's like an episode of Extras on the Empire Podcast this week, as Ricky Gervais - star, writer, director of the new Netflix show, After Life - and Captain Marvel star, Samuel L. Jackson - old Nick Fury himself - pop by to have a good old natter with Chris Hewitt about a great many things, from getting advice from Jerry Seinfeld to why Jackson doesn't tweet about Liverpool FC anymore.
Then, in the podbooth itself, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer to talk about great movie pets, d
#353 - Live Special at the Glasgow Film Festival ft. Michael Palin
For this week's pod, the team journeyed North to bonnie Scotland to record live at the Glasgow Film Festival - mainly so we could eat our own bodyweight in Irn-Bru sweets, which one listener was kind enough to provide. We also found the time to sit down with Sir Michael Palin, who reminisced with Chris Hewitt about The Holy Grail, Doon Castle and new documentary Final Ascent. Plus all the usual movie news and nonsense, including Helen's analysis of all things Oscars and only the tiniest bit of D
Alan Partridge Special ft. Neil and Rob Gibbons
"Stop getting Alan wrong!" That could well be what you shout at a couple of points in this very special Empire Podcast appreciation of all things Alan Partridge, as Alan anoraks (Alanoraks?) Chris Hewitt, Nick de Semlyen and Pilot TV's Boyd Hilton get together for a solid 49 minutes of scorching Alan-based chat... and end up misquoting him on several occasions. The authorities have been informed.
But that's not all. Chris also sits down for a chat with Neil and Rob Gibbons, the clever flucking
#352 - Stephen Merchant, Florence Pugh, Jason Clarke
Due to another incredible scheduling snafu by Chris 'What's a spreadsheet' Hewitt, this week's episode of the Empire Podcast features a veritable cavalcade of star guests. There's a Fighting With My Family double bill, as John Nugent talks to that film's director, Stephen Merchant, and its star, Florence Pugh. Then a very tired Chris meets a very jetlagged Jason Clarke, star of The Aftermath, and they end up talking about David O'Leary.
In the podbooth, Chris is joined by Nick de Semlyen and J
Avatar - An Empire 30th Anniversary Podcast Documentary
Empire's 30th birthday celebrations continue unabated with this very special podcast documentary - or, if you will, podumentary - exploring the biggest film of all time: James Cameron's Avatar.
Host Chris Hewitt dips into the Empire archives, and also sits down for a brand-new chat with Cameron, the film's writer-producer-editor-director, to tell the story of how Cameron's groundbreaking visit to Pandora came to be. It's packed with info about Cameron's Eureka! moment, how he nearly chose to d
The Ranking - Batman Movies
Holy delayed podcast, Batman! Yes, it's finally here - the Batman edition of The Ranking, the podcast/magazine crossover in which four Empire writers - Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, Dan Jolin, and Olly Richards - argue the toss over a series of movies. In this case, it's the Batfilms. All the Batfilms. Yes, even the rubbish ones.
So settle in for an hour of feverish Batdebate that features Helen and Dan arguing about the politics of The Dark Knight Rises, fewer impressions of Bane than you might
#351 - Mary J. Blige, Patrick Stewart and Angus Imrie
After the lunacy of last week's live episode, the Empire Podcast settles down this week, with an actual knight, and R&B royalty. First, Ben Travis has an audience with the wondrous Mary J. Blige, chatting about her new Netflix show, The Umbrella Academy, and much, much more. Then Chris Hewitt chats to not one, but two Merlins, as The Kid Who Would Be King stars, Sir Patrick Stewart and Angus Imrie, drop by the podbooth. We feel we should warn you - there is more discussion of @SirPatStew nudity
Joel Edgerton Interview Special
Actor. Writer. Director. Producer. Joel Edgerton is the very definition of a multi-hyphenate, in front of and behind the camera. He performs all four duties admirably on Boy Erased, which opens in the UK this week. A drama starring Lucas Hedges as a young man sent to a gay conversion therapy centre by his Baptist parents (Russell Crowe and Nicole Kidman), where he struggles with the strict methods of Edgerton's counsellor, it's a fine follow-up to the Australian's directorial debut, The Gift.
#350 - Live Special ft. Joe Cornish, Zawe Ashton
Can it really be seven years since four giggling idiots walked into a studio in London, and decided to inflict their godawful opinions about movies upon unsuspecting members of the public? Apparently it can, for this is the 350th episode of the Empire Podcast. And to celebrate it in style, Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and Empire's Editor-in-Chief, Terri White, were joined by a sell-out crowd at Kings Place in London earlier this week for a raucous live podcast. There will be movie rev
#349 - Rosa Salazar, Dean DeBlois, Richard E. Grant
This week's Empire Podcast is the kind of bumper edition you might need to book a flight in order to have time to listen to it all. We have three - count 'em, THREE - incredible guests. First, Helen O'Hara talks to Alita herself, Rosa Salazar, the star of Alita: Battle Angel. Then, Ben Travis talks with Dean DeBlois, director of all three How To Train Your Dragon movies, as he brings the trilogy to a close with The Hidden World. Finally, waiting at the very end of the pod as a lovely reward, Nic
#348 - Nicole Kidman, Charlie Brooker
This week, Oscar-winning actor Nicole Kidman drops by the pod booth to class up the joint and tell us about her latest chameleonic tour-de-force Destroyer. Plus, Charlie Brooker joins us to talk about the brain-melting branching narrative of Black Mirror: Bandersnatch. Plus, there's news on the Empire Podcast's latest foray out of the comforts of the booth...
Bradley Cooper A Star Is Born Special
We're huge fans of Bradley Cooper's directorial debut, A Star Is Born, here at Empire Podcast Towers. So much so we gave it five stars when it opened in cinemas late last year. So, when we heard that the star/director/producer/co-writer/caterer of the now-Oscar-nominated emotionally devastating love story was in town, Chris Hewitt went along to have a good old natter with Cooper about the challenges he faced as a director, key moments in the movie [INSERT SPOILER WARNING HERE], and cracking Jack
#347 - Adam McKay
For years, Adam McKay was dedicated to making us laugh with brilliant, surreal, gloriously daft comedies like Anchorman, Step Brothers, and The Other Guys. Lately, he's turned his attention to making us laugh, and also scream in horror at the state of the world, with the Oscar-winning The Big Short and next week's Vice, in which Christian Bale plays former US Vice-President, Dick Cheney. In this week's podcast, McKay chats to Chris Hewitt about that film, about his new approach, and his very rea
#346 - Jon S. Baird, Steve Coogan
Well, this is another nice mess. Stan & Ollie, Jon S. Baird's film about a UK tour undertaken by Laurel & Hardy towards the end of their careers, opens this week. So Chris Hewitt has a nice chat with Baird about that, shameless namedropping and more, and in the bargain they come up with the podcast's strangest spin-off episode to date.
Then Chris has a chat with the film's Stan, BAFTA-nominated Steve Coogan, about impressions, double acts, Partridge, Tripping with Rob Brydon, Holmes & Watson,
#345 - Robert Zemeckis & Steve Carell
2019 may be only a few days old, but the Empire Podcast does not rest. So we're back back back for the first pod of the year, which sees Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and Empire's Man In LA, James 'Jaime Blanco' White, dive back into the podbooth to discuss their Christmas breaks, chat about the movie news (what there is of it), and review The Favourite, Holmes & Watson, and Welcome To Marwen.
Speaking of Welcome To Marwen, that film's director, Robert Zemeckis, and star, Steve Carel
The Empire Podcast Review Of 2018
So, 2018. That was the year that was. And in this very special episode of the Empire Podcast, Chris Hewitt is joined by James Dyer, Helen O'Hara and, on a shared microphone because there are no airs and graces round these parts, Empire's Editor-In-Chief, Terri White, to chew the fat about the cinematic year. From cameos of the year to scenes of the year, they leave very few stones unturned, before counting down their personal Top 10s. And all while trying desperately - nay, heroically - not to w
#344 - Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ben Wheatley
Anyone who's listened to the Empire Podcast on an even semi-casual basis would know that Helen O'Hara and Chris Hewitt are big fans of Hamilton (particularly Helen). So, when the chance arose to have the creator/star of that already-legendary Broadway musical, Lin-Manuel Miranda, on the pod in his new guise as star of the delightful Mary Poppins Returns, they said, in unison, 'we are not going to be throwing away our shot, that's for sure'. So he's our first guest of the last regular pod of 2018
#343 - The League Of Gentlemen, Peter Jackson & Phillipa Boyens
"Excuse me, has anyone got a bottle of orange juice?" The legends that are the League Of Gentlemen are back back back, freed from the confines of Royston Vasey and unleashed into the real world with their new live DVD, The League Of Gentlemen Live Again. And Chris Hewitt couldn't resist the chance to get them into the podbooth to ask all four of them - Mark Gatiss, Steve Pemberton, Reece Shearsmith, and Jeremy Dyson - about their touring arrangements, and the correct pronunciation of Claes Bang.
Avengers: Endgame Teaser Trailer Special
Dread it. Run from it. The Empire Podcast's deeply nerdy audio breakdown of the brand new teaser for the fourth Avengers movie arrives all the same.
Join Chris Hewitt and Helen O'Hara as they pore over the brand new teaser trailer for the movie we can now officially call Avengers: Endgame, conjure up more bonkers theories and possibly baseless speculation than you can shake a Time Stone at, and ask the big questions. What are those things called on Hawkeye's arms? Does Thanos hate dogs? And ju
#342 - Andy Serkis
Before you ask, yes, this week's Empire Podcast was recorded five minutes before the Avengers trailer dropped. No, we didn't have time to go back in and record anything. Yes, we're upset. Yes, there will be a special podcast, up later today. No, we don't know how [REDACTED] gets out of [ALSO REDACTED].
So, to this week's episode, then, in which Chris Hewitt sits down for an audience with the great Andy Serkis, star and director of Mowgli: Legend Of The Jungle. They talk about the film's long j
Taika Waititi On Screenwriting: An Empire 30th Anniversary Special
Happy birthday to us, happy birthday to us, happy birthday, dear Empire, happy birthday to us! Yes, Empire is turning 30. And to celebrate, we're launching a year-long (well, thirteen month-long) celebration of some of our favourite filmmakers. And that activity isn't restricted to the magazine. We're going all in on the podcast as well.
Which brings us neatly to Taika Waititi. The man who directed Eagle Vs Shark, Boy, Hunt For The Wilderpeople, What We Do In The Shadows, and Thor Ragnarok is o
#341 - Alfonso Cuaron
Alfonso Cuaron is one of the finest, and most versatile, directors working today, able to leap effortlessly from huge tentpoles like Gravity and Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban, to smaller, more intimate movies like Y Tu Mama Tambien and Children Of Men (although that one was also pretty huge). He explores a more personal canvas in Roma, out now in selected cinemas and available from next week on Netflix, and on this week's podcast he chats to Ian Freer about that movie, becoming his ow
Kurt Russell Interview Special
You can probably count the number of actors whose iconic roles you can count on the fingers of two hands on the fingers of, erm, one hand. Kurt Russell is one of those actors. After all, he's played Elvis Presley, Snake Plissken, R.J. Macready, Jack Burton, Tango-or-Cash, Stuntman Mike, Ego The Living Planet, and Wyatt Earp across the breadth of an incredible career that's spanned nearly six decades. And now he's added Santa Claus to the list, with his fun turn as Father Christmas in The Christm
The Ranking: Arnold Schwarzenegger
In the latest, and absolutely not late, no you shut up, episode of The Ranking, Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, Nick de Semlyen try to discuss the movies of one of the biggest (literally and figuratively) movie stars of all time: Arnold Schwarzenegger. The only obstacle in their path: Arnold superfan, James Dyer, who might not let them get a word in edgeways.
Join us for an hour of top Arnie anecdotes (or Arn-ecdotes), as the podteam crush their enemies, see them driven before them, and hear the l
Is Die Hard A Christmas Movie? - An Empire Podcast Special
It's a question as old as time. Or as old as 1988. Is Die Hard, that Bruce Willis action classic, a Christmas movie, or just a movie that happens to be set at Christmas?
In this very special episode of the Empire Podcast, Empire's Chris Hewitt and James Dyer are joined by Sky Cinema's Alex Zane and Absolute Radio's Dave Berry to settle a debate that has raged for decades, once and for all. And once they put that little matter to bed, they discuss the film itself in great detail. It's all here
#340 - Taron Egerton
The last time Taron Egerton rocked up on the Empire Podcast, he didn't realise that it would be in front of a live audience of 400 people. Sorry about that, Taron. This time around, it's a much more intimate setting as he talks Robin Hood, Rocketman, and the future of Kingsman with Ben Travis.
Then, in the podbooth, Chris Hewitt is joined by Ben and fellow colleagues of lethal cunning, Helen O'Hara and James Dyer, to discuss the week's movie news, from more Cats casting to the sad passing of W
#339 - Jane Fonda, Aaron Taylor-Johnson
"This is my first British podcast," Jane Fonda tells Helen O'Hara towards the end of their funny and candid chat in this week's episode, which just goes to show that even a living legend notches up new experiences all the time. We're proud, and honoured, to be Fonda's first, as she chats about 9 To 5, which is re-released in cinemas this week, Grace & Frankie, political activism and more.
Then Helen (with a little help from Chris Hewitt) has a chat with Outlaw King's Aaron Taylor-Johnson, duri
Carey Mulligan Interview Special
Ever since she burst onto the scene with a star-making turn in An Education, Carey Mulligan has been one of our favourite actresses. Always interesting to watch, she imbues whatever she does, whether it's working with the Coen Brothers on Inside Llewyn Davis, Baz Luhrmann on The Great Gatsby, or Paul Dano on his directorial debut, this week's Wildlife, with intelligence and an admirable willingness to embrace character flaws. She hasn't won an Oscar yet, but it's surely only a matter of time - a
#338 - Chris Pine and David Mackenzie, Tim Blake Nelson
Chris Pine goes all Scottish in this week's Outlaw King, the story of Robert The Bruce, and in this week's episode he, and the film's director, David Mackenzie, talk to Helen O'Hara about making their film in the shadow of Braveheart, and more. Also, Tim Blake Nelson talks to John Nugent about working with the Coen Brothers on The Ballad Of Buster Scruggs, almost two decades after first hooking up with them (professionally speaking, of course) on O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Then, in the podbooth
#337 - Simon Pegg and Nick Frost
Simon Pegg and Nick Frost have starred in a beloved TV show, and an equally beloved series of films, together. They've written films together. They've produced films together, including this week's horror-comedy, Slaughterhouse Rulez. But it's all been leading to this: the pinnacle of their career, the summit of their friendship, the zenith of their journey as human beings: the Empire Podbooth, where they have a very funny but, we will warn you now, very adults-only chat with Chris Hewitt about
#336 - Rami Malek, Panos Cosmatos
Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? Caught on a podcast, no escape from reality. Yes, this week sees the release of Queen biopic, Bohemian Rhapsody, and Rami Malek, the man who plays Mr. Fahrenheit, aka Freddie Mercury, pops into the podbooth to talk about that with Chris Hewitt. Then, Panos Cosmatos, the director of Nic Cage fever dream revenge thriller Mandy, has an intense and involved chat with Ben Travis that covers everything from grief to staging a chainsaw battle. NB: the sound
#335 - Jamie Lee Curtis, Gerard Butler
This week's Empire Podcast is very much a tale of two interviews. First, actual living legend Jamie Lee Curtis talks to Chris Hewitt about returning to the Halloween franchise, and the role of Laurie Strode, for what feels like a fresh start. In a serious, even intense, interview, they touch upon the impact of the #MeToo movement upon the new film, about surviving trauma, and the emotional resonance of returning to the role. Then, podcast favourite Gerard Butler pops by the podbooth to talk abou
Peter Jackson Interview Special
In this very special edition of the Empire Podcast, Chris Hewitt and Nick de Semlyen are joined by one of our favourite directors. Yes, it's Sir Peter Of Jackson, who drops by the podbooth to talk about his fantastic documentary, They Shall Not Grow Old, which uses cutting-edge technology to shed a new light on the First World War.
As well as an in-depth chat about the techniques Jackson used to restore archive footage, and his fascination with WWI in general, Chris and Nick also find time to
#334 - Paul Greengrass, Damien Chazelle
The Empire Podcast gets serious this week, as the great Paul Greengrass - director of 22 July, a new Netflix film about the horrific mass murder committed by Anders Breivik in Norway in 2011 - talks to Chris Hewitt about the rise of the far right, and the role democracy has to play in combating it. [22:15 - 43:46]
Then Ben Travis talks to First Man director Damien Chazelle about the challenges of making a film about the attempt to get Neil Armstrong and his fellow astronauts on the moon back in
#333 - Dominic Monaghan, Henry Thomas
This week's longer-and-let's-face-it-probably-more-incoherent-than-usual episode of the Empire Podcast sees that lovable rascal and former Hobbit, Dominic Monaghan, sit in with Chris Hewitt, Ben Travis, and James Dyer for most of the episode. During which time they talk about movie cliffhangers, discuss the week's film news, talk about Jose Mourinho, his love of Star Wars, tattoos, Lord Of The Rings, Wagon Wheels, The Beatles, and much, much more. It's a lot of fun. Our door is always open, Dom.
#332 - Teresa Palmer & Matthew Goode
We've got witchcraft of all kinds on our mind in the Empire podbooth this week. Our guests, Teresa Palmer and Matthew Goode, are the stars of Sky's A Discovery Of Witches, and they're a ruddy delight as they have a natter with Ben Travis.
Either side of that, Chris Hewitt hosts Ben, Helen O'Hara, and James Dyer as they talk a ton of trailers, review Skate Kitchen, Black 47 and Night School, go off on more tangents than a Rube Goldberg machine, and discuss the thorniest subject of them all: whi
#331 - Eli Roth, Paul Feig
It's a tale of two directors on the Empire Podcast this week, as Eli Roth pops by to talk to his Drunk British Slob from Hostel Part II, Chris Hewitt, about The House With A Clock In Its Walls, working with Bruce Willis, and persuading Hollywood to see past his hardcore horror past.
Then Chris chats to A Simple Favour director, Paul Feig, about moving into comedy thriller territory, being the best dressed man in show business, working with Emma Thompson, and not working with Melissa McCarthy.
#330 - Constance Wu; Michael Caine & Ray Winstone
From talking representation in modern cinema, to discussing Jim Broadbent's bum, you can't say that this week's Empire Podcast doesn't cover all the bases. Or whatever they say in cricket.
In the podbooth, Chris Hewitt is joined by Terri White, Ben Travis, and Nev Pierce to talk about a great many things, from Henry Cavill's possible departure from the DCEU to Terri's desire to open a pub. They also tackle a listener's question, and there's an extended reviews section in which they tackle Crazy
#329 - Live At The London Podcast Festival (ft. Corin Hardy)
This week's episode of the Empire Podcast was recorded live at Kings Place, London, as part of the London Podcast Festival. If you've ever been to our live shows before, you'll know what that means. If you haven't, this (slightly) edited version is a fine snapshot of what we're like when we're live. Namely, even swearier than usual, dafter than usual, and more juvenile than usual.
If that's your bag, then listen on as Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and Empire's Editor-In-Chief, Terri
The Ranking - Star Trek
In the latest episode of The Ranking, which is absolutely on time and in no way massively late (no, YOU shut up), a crack team of massive Star Trek fans who know what they're talking about, and Chris Hewitt, join together to definitively rank the Star Trek films in order.
Join James Dyer, Helen O'Hara, Dan Jolin and that Hewitt eejit as they discuss the merits of the original crew, the Next Gen movies, the JJ Abrams not-a-reboot-actually and its sequels, drop a load of bad impressions, and gen
Leigh Whannell Interview Special
Leigh Whannell is the actor-turned-screenwriter-turned director behind the likes of Saw (the early, good ones), the Insidious movies, and this week's hard-boiled slice of sci-fi, Upgrade, in which a paralysed Logan Marshall-Green bonds with an operating system that allows him to take bloody revenge on the men who attacked him.
And, as it turns out, Whannell is also a dream of an interviewee, sitting down with Chris Hewitt for this extended chat about the journey of Upgrade from script to scree
#328 - Chloe Grace Moretz, Dave Bautista, Bart Layton and Barry Keoghan
If this week's Empire Podcast were any more jam-packed, you could pop a label on it and call it a jar of Hartley's. We are joined by not one, not two, not three, but FOUR guests this week. First up is Chloe Grace Moretz, the former Hit-Girl herself, who talks to Chris Hewitt about her new movie, The Miseducation Of Cameron Post, falling in and out of love with acting, and being a DJ. [00:11:55 - 00:31:02] Then Chris talks to the man mountain that is Dave Bautista [00:52:09 - 01:07:05] about his
#327 - Guy Pearce, Iain Morris
Iain Morris is the co-creator of The Inbetweeners, director of raucous Brit-com The Festival (in cinemas now), and now a temporary member of the Empire Podteam. In this week's episode he joins Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, and James Dyer to discuss the week's movie news (mainly Danny Boyle leaving Bond 25), and the sexiest moment in the MCU. He also talks about The Festival, Joe Thomas' bum, and throws in a Crowded House anecdote that may be the single most shameless example of namedropping in Emp
50 Greatest Star Wars Characters Special
We asked you to vote for the greatest Star Wars characters of all time, and you didn't let us down. This month's issue of Empire features an epic countdown of those characters, from beloved Original Trilogy stalwarts, to newer, fresher blood, with the odd cartoon character thrown in for good measure.
And in this very special episode of the Empire Podcast, Chris Hewitt, James Dyer, and Nick de Semlyen get together in the podbooth to take the scenic route through the list, unleashing an array of
#326 - Antoine Fuqua
Antoine Fuqua has worked with Denzel Washington four times, more than any other director. And on this week's episode, he talks to Chris Hewitt about reteaming with the Oscar-winning legend for The Equalizer 2, their first outing on Training Day, and his hopes that Denzel might star in his Scarface remake. Elsewhere, the frank and very funny Fuqua talks about bouncing back in Hollywood after King Arthur, and about the social conscience that runs through his films as an African-American director.
#325 - Hayley Atwell
The wonderful Hayley Atwell - Dame Peggy Carter herself - returns to the Empire Podcast this week, ostensibly to talk to Chris Hewitt about her new film, next week's Christopher Robin. Instead, it ended up being a relentlessly daft chat, including Chris and Hayley's pitch for a return of Peggy Carter from beyond the grave (are you listening, Kevin Feige?), and the latest round of our irregular feature, the IMDbunker. Nothing can prepare you for the impact of Hayley Atwell's ventriloquism act.
#324 - Christopher McQuarrie
This week's episode of the award-winning-but-mostly-award-losing Empire Podcast could easily have been retitled Giggling Idiots Go! To The Movies, as Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, James Dyer and our Editor-In-Chief Terri White (or is it Terri White?) convene in the podbooth for an hour of utter nonsense. There will be discussion of the week's big movie news. There will be reviews of Ant-Man And The Wasp, The Escape, and Teen Titans Go! To The Movies. There will even be an attempt to answer a liste
#323 - Vanessa Kirby
Mission: Impossible - Fallout's Vanessa Kirby swings by the podbooth this week in an interview only five hours and fifty eight minutes shorter than Chris' upcoming spoiler special chat with director Christopher McQuarrie.
Elsewhere, Chris, James, Helen and Nick tackle the third act firing of Chekhov's (James) Gunn, delve into the bountiful delights of this year's Comic-Con and take a terrifying step into the world of Frasier fan fiction. Enter at your own risk.
#322 - Jeremy Irvine, Drew Pearce
Two more guests check into Hotel Empire Podcast this week. Let's hope they don't do that thing people do on Four In A Bed, where they run their finger along the wardrobe to check for dust. No telling what people might find in the darkest corners of the podbooth...
First up is Jeremy Irvine, who talks to Ben Travis about playing (and singing as) a young Pierce Brosnan in Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again. That starts at 23:56 and finishes at 46:16.
Then Drew Pearce, co-writer of Iron Man 3 and creat
#321 - Ethan Hawke, Brad Bird
We're flying high on the Empire Podcast this week, as Incredibles 2 director, and all-round animation legend, Brad Bird pops in to the podbooth to talk to Jonny Pile and Chris Hewitt. They discuss returning to animation, working with Tom Cruise on Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, and more besides. It starts at 22:48 and finishes at 47:33.
Then Ethan Hawke, one of our favourite recurring guests, pops in to talk faith, his new movie First Reformed, and working inside and outside the Hollywo
#320 - Natalie Dormer, Rob Brydon
On this week's podcast, Margaery Tyrell herself Natalie Dormer joins John Nugent in the pod booth to talk about her new neo-noir thriller In Darkness. Plus, Rob Brydon treats Ian Freer to a personal rendtion of his best impressions, and explains the rules of synchronised swimming from his new comedy Swimming With Men. Elsewhere in podland, with Chris Hewitt back in The Old Country, James Dyer takes the reins with his usual levels of gentle understatement and sunny optimism, ably flanked by the e
#319 - Shailene Woodley & Sam Claflin, Aaron Moorhead & Justin Benson
On this week's Empire Podcast, Shailene Woodley and Sam Claflin make it to dry land to chat with John Nugent about their real-life disaster movie Adrift. Plus, multi-hyphenates Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson speak to James Dyer about the cult low-budget horror The Endless, which you'll be pleased to know, despite that title, has a running time of just 111 minutes. And back in the pod booth, a heavily jet-lagged Chris Hewitt doggedly bangily-bangs his way through the week's movie news and revie
#318 - Benicio Del Toro
He's battled Bond. Collected Infinity Stones. Stood in a line-up with the Usual Suspects. And now Benicio Del Toro, Oscar-winning legend and star of Sicario 2: Soldado, is gracing this week's Empire Podcast. He talks to Ian Freer about returning to play the hitman, Alejandro, his Bond and Star Wars experiences, and more.
Then, in the podbooth, a dearth of colleagues of such lethal cunning means it's a two-person pod this week, with Helen O'Hara hosting James Dyer as they talk about that propos
The Ranking - Ridley Scott
There's a rumour going around that this episode of The Ranking is so late because Chris Hewitt forgot about it. That's an evil and pernicious rumour that we don't wish to dignify with acknowledgement. Anyway, here it is at long last: four Empire writers, locked away in a meeting room in Empire HQ (hence the echo), talking through the filmography of the great Sir Ridley Scott, with one goal: come up with a definitive top ten.
So, join Chris, Nick de Semlyen, Dan Jolin, and James Dyer as they ar
#317 - Alfred Molina
He was the first person to betray Indiana Jones. He had the power of the sun in the palm of his hand. And he holds the record for having the most Lego mini-figs made in his image. He is, of course, the great Alfred Molina, and he's our guest this week, popping into the podbooth to chat with Chris Hewitt about Raiders, about Sam Raimi, and about Molina's new play, a revival of John Logan's Red. It starts at 49:36 and ends at 1:23:22, fact fans.
Then, Chris heads into the podbooth proper and is j
#316 - Andy Serkis
How could you not love the man who is Gollum, Supreme Leader Snoke, Caesar, Ulysses Klaue, and an all-round great big bloody brilliant bloke? So we're delighted that Andy Serkis is our guest this week, talking to Chris Hewitt about Black Panther (out on DVD and Blu-ray next week) about that film, and more besides. It's a bit spoilerific, so don't watch unless you know that [REDACTED] [REDACTED] in [REALLY REDACTED]. Interview begins at 56:03, ends at 1:17:37.
Elsewhere, Chris ventures into the
#315 - Martin Freeman
Martin Freeman has come a long way since he was universally known as Tim-From-The-Office. Since then, he's been Watson-From-Sherlock, Ross-From-Black-Panther, and Bilbo-From-Bag-End. And in this week's Netflix movie Cargo, he can be found dodging zombies in the Australian outback. John Nugent spoke to him about that, and much more besides.
Back in the podbooth, Chris Hewitt returns and has brought two special guests with him: jetlag and a mystery speaker whose identity we won't reveal. And, al
#314 - Alden Ehrenreich, Michael Cera & Alia Shawkat
Here be dragons. And Hamilton references. And Supernatural chat. Yes, Chris Hewitt is away for this week's Empire Podcast, and geek queen Helen O'Hara is in charge in the podbooth.
It's a top crop of guests this week, with Alden Ehrenreich talking to James Dyer and Nick de Semlyen about taking on the role of the galaxy's greatest scoundrel, controlling the Millennium Falcon, talking to Wookiees, and his history with the Winchester brothers. Then Michael Cera (call him George Michael) and Alia S
#313 - Amanda Abbington
The Empire Podcast studio - sorry, podbooth - is a sacred place. We don't throw our doors open to just anybody, you know. They have to be a) funny b) interesting and, most importantly, c) available and willing to lower their standards for an hour or so. Amanda Abbington, star of Sherlock and Netflix's new thriller, Safe, is all of those things, and so this week becomes only the fourth celebrity co-host in our history.
Yes, Amanda (follow her on Twitter as @CHIMPSINSOCKS) was brave enough to si
#312 - Clive Owen, Eddie Marsan
On this week's bumper, slightly-more-bonkers-than-usual Empire Podcast, we welcome two of our favourite British character actors, and then grill them relentlessly about things they said in the past.
First, Clive Owen pops in to talk to Chris Hewitt about his latest film, Anon, his aversion to first days, his memories of Croupier, and their shared love of Liverpool FC. (Yes, it's one of those.) But Chris also subjects Clive to a very fun, and revelatory, edition of the IMDbunker. Enjoy. Then Ch
#311 - Daniel Brühl, Dakota Fanning, Luke Evans
For this week's Empire Podcast, Ben Travis travelled all the way to Rome to have a hot foursome with Daniel Brühl, Dakota Fanning, and Luke Evans, the stars of new Netflix TV show, The Alienist. And we don't mean foursome in the sense that you're thinking of. No, Ben stayed well away from the golf course, and instead had a good old natter with the trio about the show, about shooting in Budapest, and statues of Columbo. Figures.
Sadly, Ben's microphone wasn't working, but it's a fun interview t
Tom Hiddleston: Life As Loki Interview Special
Tom Hiddleston has been an integral part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe for almost a decade now, making a magical mark as Loki, Prince Of Asgard, Odinson, the rightful king of Jotunheim, and horny thorn in Thor's side.
He plays the character for the fifth time in Avengers: Infinity War, and sat down with Chris Hewitt for this very special interview about his life as one of the MCU's most popular characters. He talks about finding the right look, and voice, for Loki, the changes that the char
#310 - Joe & Anthony Russo
This week sees the debut of a small indie film that the Empire Podteam haven't been looking forward to. Honest, guv. That film is Avengers: Infinity War, and this week's podcast sees the film's directors, Joe and Anthony Russo, talk to Chris Hewitt about working on that film, and about what they have planned post-Marvel with their very own studio, Agbo.
Then Chris retreats to the safety of the podbooth, and is joined by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer for a fun-filled pod that takes in their best
#309 - David Morrissey
This week, one of our favourite actors - David Morrissey - returns to the podbooth to talk to James Dyer (and not Chris Hewitt, as advertised on the pod; there was a scheduling snafu) about his new show, The City And The City, playing Gordon Brown, and more. He also has advice for Chris re: his Tuesday night clash between the Liverpool-Roma game and the Avengers: Infinity War screening.
Then, Chris and James are joined in the podbooth by Helen O'Hara as they discuss which quiet place they'd re
#308 - Scott Adkins, Brad Peyton
British action star, and regular podcast listener, Scott Adkins visits the podbooth this week to talk about his new film, Accident Man, as well as idolising Jean-Claude Van Damme and accidentally kicking Benedict Cumberbatch. (1:04:10-1:32:31)
Our second guest is Brad Peyton, director of this week's monster mash-up Rampage, who talks to Chris about working with The Rock, playing poker, not being an asshole, and an early contender for line of the year. (24:08-44:49)
Then, Chris retreats into th
The Ranking - Brian De Palma
The latest episode of The Ranking - our show that ties in with the magazine (hashtag brand synergy) and sees four Empire writers argue the toss on a filmmaker's CV - is here. And this time we're delving deep into the work of a man who's orchestrated more tracking shots than you've had hot dinners: Brian 'Bri Bri' De Palma.
Discussing his progression from early promise to his virtuoso Hitchcockian phase and then the more commercial fare of the Eighties and Nineties (but without focusing on the
Mark Hamill & Rian Johnson Interview Special
We've gone bonus content mad on the Empire Podcast this week! Every day this week, we'll bring you a brand new pod, culminating in Friday's mothership. And we kick things off with this very fun, and compact, commute-sized conversation with two of the key figures behind last year's biggest movie - Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
And, just in case you weren't already sure, those figures are Rian Johnson, the film's writer/director, and Mark Hamill, the man who has played Luke Skywalker for 41 years. T
#307 - Anya Taylor-Joy
On this week's Empire Podcast, we're filled with joy as Anya Taylor-Joy pops by our offices to talk to Chris Hewitt about her new film Thoroughbreds, dealing with tricksy accents, the much-delayed The New Mutants, and the moment when she found out that Split was a stealth sequel to Unbreakable. It's a fun, and lengthy, chat that starts at 27.44 and runs all the way to 55.56.
Elsewhere, Chris derives a different kind of joy from John Krasinski's A Quiet Place, which he declares his film of the
#306 - Leslie Mann, Paddy Considine
Paddy Considine was our very first guest on our very first podcast, way back in 2012. Since then, we've been like ships in the night. But we fix that this week, with Paddy popping into the podbooth for an epic chat with Chris Hewitt about his new movie, Journeyman, and all manner of things. (50:46-1:17:54)
Elsewhere, Chris talks to Blockers star Leslie Mann (17.06-32.49), teaches her about Pacific Rim: Uprising, learns a lot about vocal fry, and then somehow - being the blithering nincompoop he
#305 - Steven Spielberg, Simon Pegg
This week's Empire Podcast sees the man anointed as Empire's Legend Of Our Lifetime... talk to Steven Spielberg. Here all week. Try the fish.
Yes, at long last we spiel with The Berg, as Steven Spielberg - former Empire editor, and director of one or two classic movies - chats to Chris Hewitt in the immediate aftermath of last Sunday's Rakuten TV Empire Awards, where Spielberg was given the above honour. From discussion of Ready Player One to The Beatles, it was a blast.
Elsewhere, Chris tal
Avengers: Infinity War trailer breakdown Vol. 2!
Because (some of) you demanded it! Today saw the debut of the second (and probably final) trailer for Avengers: Infinity War, the superhero team-up to out-cape them all. And, as it hit the internet just too late for us to bang on about it on the regular podcast, we decided to seize the opportunity to bang on about it in a very special trailer breakdown podcast.
This one follows hot on the heels of the trailer breakdown podcast we did for the first Avengers: Infinity War trailer last year, but
#304 - Armie Hammer & Timothee Chalamet, Rooney Mara & Garth Davis
This week's Empire Podcast is a bumper affair, jam-packed with more big names than the Avengers: Infinity War trailer. Well, almost.
First up, Call Me By Your Name stars Armie Hammer and Timothee Chalamet - or Timothy Chalet, as autocorrect insists on calling him - popped into a London hotel room at the end of January to talk about their Oscar-winning love story with Chris Hewitt. And while they do talk about the film, there's also a fair amount of silliness, ranging from discussion of Chalame
The Ranking - Martin Scorsese
The second episode of The Ranking, our new ongoing cross-platform series (hashtag brandsynergy hashtag sharedgoals hashtag TeamEmpire), sees four Empire writers lock themselves in an increasingly stuffy meeting room to argue the toss over one of the greatest film directors of all time: Martin Scorsese. It's all here: talkin' Taxi Driver, raging about Raging Bull, and finding there's not a lot to say about Silence.
As far back as they can remember, Chris Hewitt, Empire's Editor-In-Chief Terri W
#303 - David Oyelowo, Lynne Ramsay
This week's episode of the Empire Podcast was, unlike our Oscars 2018 podcast special, recorded on a full night's sleep, but is no less delirious. So apologies in advance, as Chris Hewitt, Nick de Semlyen and James Dyer decide who their Desert Island Director would be, discuss the week's movie news, and review You Were Never Really Here, Gringo, and Mom And Dad. Plus, they debut the catchiest song of the year so far, and discuss just what Thanos wants with those stones...
Elsewhere, Chris welco
Oscars 2018 Sleepless Special
The Oscars are over for another year. Yes, the 90th edition of the Academy Awards took place last night in the glamorous heart of Hollywood and so Empire responded in kind, by recording a sleep-deprived, seriously sweary podcast, detailing our verdict on the ceremony itself, and the winners and not-winners.
No glamorous heart of Hollywood for us. This was recorded round the kitchen table of our very own host, Chris Hewitt, and he was talking to Ben Travis and James Dyer, who took The Shape Of
#302 - Francis Lawrence
This week's Empire Podcast sees a filmmaking Lawrence, famous for an association with The Hunger Games franchise, drop by for a chat about their new movie, Russian spy thriller Red Sparrow. Yes, it's director Francis Lawrence, who chats to Ben Travis about all manner of things, from Russian accents to torture implements.
What, did you think we meant another filmmaking Lawrence, famous for an association with The Hunger Games? Weird.
Elsewhere, Helen O'Hara braves the snow and the wind and the
The Ranking - Stephen King
The Ranking is a new monthly edition of the Empire Podcast that ties in with a regular feature in the magazine. The concept is simple: every month, we pick a director/writer/actor, or a franchise, and four Empire writers lock themselves in a room and argue the toss, with the aim of emerging with the definitive Top 10.
This edition sees Chris Hewitt, Nick de Semlyen, James Dyer, and Simon Crook (making his pod-debut) discuss the big screen impact of Stephen King, whose incredibly popular novels
#301 - Lennie James, Nick Murphy
For the past few years, Lennie James has been battling zombies as Morgan on The Walking Dead. He's about to jump ship to the spin-off show, Fear The Walking Dead, but somehow he's found the time to create, write, produce and star in new 6-part Sky TV series, Save Me, about a Londoner who, after finding himself accused of his daughter's abduction, vows to track down the real culprit.
And we were delighted to welcome Lennie and his Save Me director, Nick Murphy (@nickmurftweets) into the podbooth
#300 - Live Podcast Special With Taron Egerton & Ruth Wilson
You might not believe it, largely because we know we don't look a day over 290, but the Empire Podcast turned 300 this week. Yes, we've somehow clocked up 300 episodes of movie news, interviews and nonsense since we started way back in 2012 and to 'celebrate', we took to the stage at Kings Place, London, for a cracking evening. And 400 of you came along as well, which was nice, considering that it was Valentine's Day. How romantic.
So, sit back, relax and enjoy as the podteam - Chris Hewitt, He
#299 - Colin Firth And Rachel Weisz
This week's Empire Podcast is an unexpectedly classy joint, as Chris Hewitt talks to British acting royalty, the Oscar-winning double whammy of Sir Colin Of Firth and Dame Rachel Of Weisz, about their new movie, The Mercy, which tells the tragic story of Donald Crowhurst's ill-fated attempt to sail the world solo in 1969. And they also talk about their acting nightmares - literally and metaphorically.
Back in the podbooth, Chris and James Dyer welcome pod debutant Ben Travis, review Black Panth
#298 - Paul Thomas Anderson
Daniel Day-Lewis may be retiring, set fair for a life of Countdown and Four In A Bed marathons, but his Phantom Thread director, the great Paul Thomas Anderson, is decidedly not. Much to our delight, as he's this week's guest, having a chat with John Nugent about the film's soundtrack, how Day-Lewis came up with the name 'Reynolds Woodcock', and much, much more.
Back in the podbooth, we go from Phantom Thread to phantom menaces as Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, and James Dyer mull over the week's
#296 — Lee Unkrich
This week's Empire Podcast sees Lee Unkrich, Pixar legend, World's Biggest The Shining Fan, and all-round decent cove, drop by the podbooth to talk to John Nugent about his new movie, Coco, which will do unspeakable things to your tear ducts.
Elsewhere, John joins Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, and James Dyer for a freewheeling episode that includes Chris' first-hand account of what it was like to be present at the Chevy Chase-Mike Read Q&A that has already passed into legend (the night, not Chri
#295 — Joe Wright, Martin McDonagh
This week's Empire Podcast sees us welcome two of our favourite directors into our podcompany. First up, Joe Wright — hands down one of our favourite English directors called Wright, and maybe even in the top two — talks to Nick de Semlyen about his latest movie, Darkest Hour, which sees Gary Oldman give a barnstorming performance as Winston Churchill, and the career that might have been, as an illusionist. Now that's magic.
Then Chris Hewitt sits down for a chat with Martin McDonagh, the write
#294 — Jason Isaacs & Sonequa Martin-Green, Andrea Riseborough
The first Empire Podcast of 2018 — Happy New Year, you lot! — boldly goes where no podcast has gone before, as Chris Hewitt discovers Star Trek Discovery with two of its hilarious, eloquent leads, Jason Isaacs and Sonequa Martin-Green. We're going to launch a new catchphrase, right here, right now: Hello to Sonequa Martin-Green! Take that, Kermode!
Elsewhere, Chris chats to Andrea Riseborough about her experiences shooting Crocodile, one of the key episodes in the new season of Charlie Brooker
Review Of The Year 2017
2017, eh? What a palaver. But it's been a belter of a year cinematically speaking, and so — in a change from our regular podcast programming — the Empire Podcast team (Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and Nick de Semlyen) locked themselves in the podbooth for ages and chewed the fat over the year that's just about to leave us.
It's a show of two halves, with the first part dedicated to answering listeners' questions, and the second segment counting down Empire's Top 20 films of the year
Hugh Jackman Interview Special
Ho-ho-Hugh! We're pretty much finished for Christmas, but before we gorge on mince pies and Die Hard, we decided to pop an pod-treat in your Christmas pod-stocking: a 20-minute chat with the Australian triple-threat and friend-of-the-pod Hugh Jackman. He talks to us about making The Greatest Showman and saying goodbye to Logan.
#293 - Karen Gillan
On the last Empire Podcast of 2017, the podcast team — Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara and James Dyer — are rambling even more than usual as they discuss the Disney takeover of Fox, answer your Christmas movie questions, review Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and have a big old barney over Aaron Sorkin. To paraphrase a great man we used to know in San Diego back in the '70s, that escalated quickly.
And we see out the year in style with our wonderful star guest, Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle's Karen Gilla
#292 — James and Dave Franco/John Cena
This week's Empire Podcast is really going all in on all things Franco. James and Dave, the brothers who star in (and, in James' case, directs) The Disaster Artist, the story behind the making of legendarily awful movie The Room, drop by for a chat about that with John Nugent. Then James Dyer talks to WWE legend-turned-actor, John Cena, about being strong like cartoon bull in new animated movie Ferdinand — and wouldn't you know it, a Franco of a different kind crops up in conversation there too.
#291 - Dan Stevens
This week's slightly-shorter-than-usual Empire Podcast sees the return of one of our favourite podguests, as Dan Stevens, our once and future spirit animal, pops back in to talk Dickens with Helen O'Hara. Not randomly, you see — he's playing Charles Dickens in The Man Who Invented Christmas.
Elsewhere, with Helen swanning around in Malta, it's double trouble in the podbooth as Chris Hewitt and James Dyer talk about great movie scenes set in laundrettes (that doesn't wash with them), review the
Avengers: Infinity War Trailer Podcast Discussion Special
Unless you've been hiding out in the middle of Knowhere, you'll have noticed a little teaser trailer dropped today, for an equally little film called Avengers: Infinity War. Filled with plenty of images designed to fuel discussion and speculation — just how does The Vision do that? Where does Steve Rogers get his beard oil? Why didn't Spider-Man have spider-sense in his solo movie? — it prompted us to do just that. So our resident MCU experts, Helen O'Hara and Chris Hewitt, got together and ende
#290: Lee Child, Craig Roberts
On this week's Empire Podcast, Lee Child — the man behind all 22 Jack Reacher books — drops by for another appearance, and once again drops a hot scoop: the name of the 23rd Reacher book. Thanks, Lee — cheque's in the post. Elsewhere, Red Oaks and Submarine star Craig Roberts challenges Chris Hewitt to a coffee-fuelled Pro Evo-off, while the podcast team — Chris, Helen O'Hara and James Dyer — get to grips with the week's big releases and multiple Shafts. Strap yourselves in, innuendo fans — it's
#289: Henry Cavill, Garrett Hedlund, Jason Mitchell
This week, Henry Cavill talks to us about Justice League, which he is definitely not in, no siree. Nope.
Plus, we chat to the stars of Mudbound, Garrett Hedlund and Jason Mitchell, about Oscar hopes and birthday buddies.
#288: Annette Bening, Kenneth Lonergan
On this week's podcast, we chat to the Oscar-nominated star of Film Stars Don't Die In Liverpool Annette Bening, and the Oscar-winning writer-director behind Manchester By The Sea and the BBC's adaptation of Howard's End, Kenneth Lonergan.
More from the Empire Podcast: http://www.empireonline.com/podcast
Red Dwarf Special With Craig Charles, Robert Llewellyn, Danny John-Jules & Doug Naylor
An extensive, shambolic and hilarious interview with the stars and creators of the cult Brit sci-fi sitcom Red Dwarf – plus, four of Empire's smeggiest smegheads have a long chat about why they love the show.
More from the Empire Podcast: http://www.empireonline.com/podcast
#287: Jamie Bell, Tobin Bell
For whom the Bells toll! It's an inadvertent Bell Special on the podcast this week, as we welcome Jamie Bell and Tobin Bell (no relation) to ring the chimes of their new films, 6 Days and Jigsaw, respectively.
On next week's podcast: Kristen Bell, Lake Bell, Toby Kebbell, Isabelle Huppert, Toby Kebell, and the ghost of Alexander Graham Bell. Maybe.
More from the Empire Podcast: http://www.empireonline.com/podcast
Jeff Goldblum Special
Ah…now eventually, you do plan to have Jeff Goldblum on your… on your Jeff Goldblum Interview Special, right? Hello?… Hello? Yes?
286: Vince Vaughn, S. Craig Zahler, Claire Foy + Guest Host Sam Bain
Another guest bonanza! Interviews with Vince Vaughn and S. Craig Zahler, the respective star and director of Brawl In Cell Block 99; and Her Majesty Claire Foy, the star of Breathe and The Crown – plus, Sam Bain, the writer/co-creator of Peep Show, joins us in the studio as a guest host.
More from the Empire Podcast: http://www.empireonline.com/podcast
#285: Daniel Radcliffe, Jason Isaacs, Gerard Butler
A triple-bill of guests! First up, former boy wizard turned proper actor Daniel Radcliffe talks surviving the jungle in Jungle; then, Jason Isaacs talks surviving the death of Stalin in The Death Of Stalin; and finally, Gerard Butler talks surviving a geostorm in – well, you get the idea, Geostorm.
More from the Empire Podcast: http://www.empireonline.com/tags/empire-podcast
David Fincher Interview Special
A 40-minute conversation with one of the world's greatest living filmmakers about his new Netflix series Mindhunter, plus news on his future projects.
More from the Empire Podcast: http://www.empireonline.com/tags/empire-podcast
#284: Rebecca Ferguson, Noah Baumbach
This week, the Scandinavian star of The Snowman drops by talk about knitted jumpers and frosty murders – plus, the director of The Meyerowitz Stories drops by to talk about director t-shirts and Adam Sandler's serious side.
#283: Ridley Scott, Denis Villeneuve
It's a Blade Runner 2049-themed episode this week, as we are joined by directors past and present from the world of replicants, whom we question with the scrutiny of a Voight-Kampff test. Plus, the two-handed pod team ponder which movie John would win in a fight.
#282: Mike Flanagan
On this week's ever-so-slightly late edition of the award-winning-and-losing Empire Podcast, we chain director Mike Flanagan to a metaphorical bed and ask him to tell us all about his Stephen King adaptation, Gerald's Game, which is now available on Netflix. Plus, the podteam - Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara and Terri White - wax lyrical about the week's big movie news, review Goodbye Christopher Robin, Daphne and Gerald's Game, and review their own favourite non-Empire podcasts. That's lot of bangi
#281: Michael Winterbottom
This week, we say hello to prolific Brit director Michael Winterbottom – and say a sad goodbye to our arthouse guru.
More from the Empire Podcast: http://empireonline.com/podcast
#280: LIVE with Mark Strong & Matthew Vaughn at the London Podcast Festival
This week, we're joined by the star and director of Kingsman: The Golden Circle – and a few hundred lovely Empire readers – as we record our podcast live on stage, from the London Podcast Festival in the extremely shiny King's Place. Thanks to everyone who came along!
More from the Empire Podcast: http://www.empireonline.com/podcast
#279 — Iwan Rheon, Francis Lee
Episode 279 of the Empire Podcast sees us travel to the Yorkshire home of God's Own Country director, Francis Lee, while the former Ramsay Bolton, Iwan Rheon, pops into the podbooth. Plus, the Empire Podcast team discuss the sudden vacancy at the helm of Star Wars Episode IX, discuss much-missed directors, and review Stephen King's It.
#278: Bill Nighy, Adam Wingard
This week, the inestimably brilliant Bill Nighy drops by to talk The Limehouse Golem; plus Adam Wingard talks Death Note and Godzilla vs King Kong.
More from the Empire Podcast: www.empireonline.com/podcast
Bill NighyAdam WingardEmpire Podcast
Terminator 2: Judgment Day Special With Robert Patrick
Come with us if you want to pod! For our first retro spoiler special, we dive back into James Cameron's classic Terminator sequel – plus, an extensive chat with the T-1000 himself, Robert Patrick.
#277: Will Poulter, Doug Liman
This week, the star of Detroit (and Empire Podcast #100 guest)Will Poulter drops by to talk about Detroit and trainers; and Doug Liman talks American Made and housesharing with Tom Cruise.
More from the Empire Podcast: http://www.empireonline.com/podcast
Steven Soderbergh Interview Special
He's back! We have a long and fascinating chat with the recently un-retired filmmaker behind Ocean's 11 and this week's Logan Lucky.
More from the Empire Podcast: http://www.empireonline.com/podcast
#276: Stanley Tucci
On this week’s pod: we got The Tooch!
More from the Empire Podcast: http://www.empireonline.com/podcast
#275: Al Gore, David Lowery
On this week's pod, a former Vice President and Nobel laureate, and a former dragon tamer and Ghost Story-teller.
More from the Empire Podcast: http://www.empireonline.com/podcast
#274: James McAvoy, Bryan Cranston
This week, Charles Xavier and Walter White pop by the pod booth for a chat. Plus, with Chris and Helen away, a new hope...
More from the Empire podcast: http://www.empireonline.com/podcast
#273: Stan Lee, Kumail Nanjiani
This week, we chat to His Holiness Stan Lee, and Kumail Nanjiani, star of the superb new romcom The Big Sick. 'Nuff said.
More from the Empire Podcast: http://empireonline.com/podcast
#272: Comic-Con Special With Ivan Reitman, Jeph Loeb, Roel Reiné, Scott Buck
Beamed direct from San Diego Comic-Con 2017, this week's slightly later-than-usual podcast features the man behind Ghostbusters, the team behind Marvel's Inhumans, and three very tired Empire writers. Excelsior!
More from the Empire podcast: http://empireonline.com/podcast
#271: Jason Blum, Brian Fee, Kevin Reher
On this week’s pod, the producer behind Blumhouse Productions, and the director and producer of Pixar’s Cars 3. Plus, the team discuss which sequels have ruined their original movies.
More from the Empire Podcast: http://empireonline.com/podcast
#270: Andy Serkis, Jon Watts
Andy Serkis plays every member of the pod team this week, with Spider-Man: Homecoming director Jon Watts also popping by. (Or is he actually Andy Serkis?)
#269: Lily Collins, Tom Holland
We welcome Spidey-Man Tom Holland and Okja-Woman Lily Collins into the booth this week. (Did we get Tom Holland to rank the Tom Hollands in order of best Tom Holland? Of course we did.)
#268: Colin Trevorrow
The director of Jurassic World, Star Wars Episode IX and this week's The Book Of Henry drops by to talk bad reviews, hanging out with Spielberg, and how tall Snoke is.
More from the Empire podcast: http://empireonline.com/podcast
Empire's 100 Greatest Movies Special
To mark Empire's 100 Greatest Movies poll, we gather three podders into the pod booth for an hour-long conversation special.
See the full 100 Greatest Movies list here: http://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/best-movies/
More from the Empire Podcast: http://empireonline.com/podcast
#267: Julia Stiles
This week, we try to think of 10 Things We Hate About Julia Stiles, but we can't, because she's so nice. So we don't.
More from the Empire Podcast: http://empireonline.com/podcast
#266: Michael Sheen, Rachel Weisz
We've been very clear: this week's podcast offers strong and stable interviews with Michael Sheen and Rachel Weisz. It's the certainty the country needs.
More from the Empire Podcast: http://empireonline.com/podcast
Salma Hayek, Miguel Arteta, Marc Maron
It's a guest bonanza this week, as we welcome the star and director of Sundance hit Beatriz At Dinner, plus the star of Netflix show Glow and a podcasting legend.
More from the Empire Podcast: http://www.empironline.com/podcast
#264: Roger Donaldson
This week, the director of McLaren, No Way Out and Cocktail drops by the pod booth. Plus, the team discuss which internet memes could make a good movie. wow! such podcast! very empire!
More from the Empire Podcast: http://empireonline.com/podcast
Sir Roger Moore Interview Special (Repeat)
In tribute to the legendary Sir Roger Moore, who sadly passed away today, we are reposting this 40-minute interview special from 2012. Raise a vodka martini to a great man.
More from the Empire Podcast: http://www.empireonline.com/podcast/
#263: Charlie Hunnam
This week, we pull the sword of journalistic rigour from the stone of award-nominated podcasting to speak to Charlie Hunnam, star of King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword.
More from the Empire Podcast: http://www.www.empireonline.com/podcast
#262: Danny McBride
This week's guest has always been the McBridesmaid, never the McBride...until now.
More from the Empire Podcast: http://empireonline.com/podcast
#261: Julian Barratt & Simon Farnaby
This week, Boosh/Yonderland alumni Barratt and Farnaby drop by to talk new British comedy Mindhorn. Plus: Helen’s back! Hooray!
More from the Empire Podcast: http://empireonline.com/podcast
#260: Neil Gaiman
This week, we welcome a British God to talk about American Gods. Plus the team ponder which fictional planet they would like to live on.
More from the Empire Podcast: http://www.empireonline.com/tags/podcast
Warren Beatty Interview Special
A special hour-long interview with a genuine Hollywood legend. Expect anecdotes about Elia Kazan, Stanley Kubrick, David Lean, Ronald Reagan, and Elvis Presley. Not to be missed.
More from the Empire Podcast: http://www.empireonline.com/tags/empire-podcast/
#259: Geoffrey Rush
This week, the genius actor (and Genius actor) Geoffrey Rush pops by the pod booth. Plus, the team discuss the movie scenes that consistently make them laugh.
More from the Empire Podcast: http://www.empireonline.com/tags/empire-podcast/
#258: Gemma Arterton
This week, Gemma Arterton drops by to talk about Their Finest, as we discuss our finest laser scenes in movies.
#257: Riz Ahmed
This week, we take the rubber dinghy rapids to a city of tiny lights via a galaxy far, far away with Riz Ahmed.
More from the Empire Podcast: http://www.empireonline.com/tags/empire-podcast
#256: Carl Weathers, Norman Reedus, Greg Nicotero
Whaddsa matter – Empire Podcast got you pushing too many pencils?
More from the Empire Podcast: www.empireonline.com/tags/empire-podcast/
#255: Armie Hammer
This week, we invite fast-talking Free Fire star Armie Hammer into the booth. We also contemplate whether recasting a leading role has ever been successful.
More from the Empire Podcast: www.empireonline.com/tags/empire-podcast/
#254: Dan Stevens, Bill Condon
This week, we invite Dan Stevens and Bill Condon to Be Our Guest. Plus, in honour of St. Paddy's Day, we discuss the worst Oirish accents on screen, so we do.
More from the Empire Podcast: http://www.empireonline.com/tags/empire-podcast/
#253: Tom Hiddleston
Tom Hiddleston takes time away from fending off the advances of giant apes to visit the Empire podbooth, plus we rank the X-Men movies in order of the best Wolverine haricuts. Just because.
More from the Empire Podcast: http://www.empireonline.com/tags/empire-podcast/
#252: Sir Patrick Stewart
This week, the dulcet tones of a bona fide knight of the realm pops by to talk Logan. Plus, we discuss this year's Oscars. Sure there's nothing to talk about there.
More from the Empire Podcast: http://www.empireonline.com/tags/empire-podcast/
#251: Gore Verbinski
The director of A Cure For Wellness prescribes us a Cure For Podness. Plus, we discuss which film composer we'd love to soundtrack our lives.
More from the Empire Podcast: http://www.empireonline.com/tags/empire-podcast/
#250: LIVE with Christopher McQuarrie
For our milestone 250th episode, we're LIVE at the Prince Charles Cinema in London's Leicester Square, with friend-of-the-pod Chris McQuarrie, a sold-out crowd of pod-fans, and the biggest 'bangily-bang' yet.
More from the Empire Podcast: http://www.empireonline.com/tags/empire-podcast/
#249: Denzel Washington, Will Arnett
On this week's podcast, the man behind Fences, and the man behind the figurines of The Lego Batman.
#248: Matthew McConaughey, Ang Lee
That's what I love about these podcast guests, man. I get older, they stay the same age...
More from the Empire Podcast: http://www.empireonline.com/tags/empire-podcast/
#247: Taron Egerton
You know what they say – you can take the boy out of Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch...
More from the Empire Podcast: http://www.empireonline.com/tags/empire-podcast/
#246: James McAvoy + Guest Host Garth Jennings
This week, James McAvoy talks about playing 23 different people in one film – and Sing director Garth Jennings joins us for the entire podcast recording.
#245: Michelle Williams
This week, Michelle-by-the-pod-booth talks Manchester-By-The-Sea.
More from the Empire Podcast: http://www.empireonline.com/tags/empire-podcast/
#244: Neil Patrick Harris
For the first podcast of 2017, we play a game called "Haaaaaave you met Neil?"
More from the Empire Podcast: http://www.empireonline.com/tags/empire-podcast/
Review Of The Year 2016
With 2016 drawing to a close, it's time for that most sacred of annual winter traditions: the Empire Podcast Review Of The Year.
Note: this podcast was recorded in mid-December, before this month's tragic news.
More from the Empire Podcast: http://www.empireonline.com/tags/empire-podcast/
#243: Michael Fassbender
For the final regular pod of the year...it's Fassassin's Creedbender time!
More from the Empire Podcast: http://www.empireonline.com/tags/empire-podcast/
#242: Ricky Gervais, Forest Whitaker
On this week's pod: a famously softly-spoken man, and a famously less-softly-spoken man.
More from the Empire Podcast: http://www.empireonline.com/tags/empire-podcast/
#241: Oliver Stone
This week, we hack into the mainframe to bring you an interview with Snowden director Oliver Stone. Plus, the team discuss whether "woke bae" is the same as "Wookiee bae".
More from the Empire Podcast: http://www.empireonline.com/tags/empire-podcast/
#240: Miles Teller, Aaron Eckhart
This week, we welcome two actors with questionable facial hair in their respective movies. Eckhart: thick and bristly. Teller: thin and wispy.
More from the Empire Podcast: http://www.empireonline.com/tags/empire-podcast/
#239: Robert Zemeckis
This week, we go Back To The Future and make Contact with Robert Zemeckis to see What Lies Beneath his latest movie, Allied. Something Something Death Becomes Her.
#238: Rosamund Pike, David Oyelowo
This week, two actors from the United Kingdom talk about the film, A United Kingdom. Plus: everything's still fine! Really! All fine!
More from the Empire Podcast: http://www.empireonline.com/tags/empire-podcast/
#237: Adam Driver
Kylo Ren himself, Adam Driver, pops by the pod booth this week to talk about playing a driver in Paterson. Plus, we pretend that everything is fine. Just fine.
More from the Empire Podcast: http://www.empireonline.com/tags/empire-podcast/
#236: Derek Cianfrance
We welcome Derek Cianfrance into the pod booth this week to talk about his Michael Fassbender/Alicia Vikander tear-jerker, The Light Between Oceans. In double tear-inducing news, we also say goodbye to one of our own.
#235: Jake Gyllenhaal, Mads Mikkelsen
This week, we welcome two actors, each with interesting and challenging CVs, and each with interesting and challenging-to-spell names. Plus, we discuss our favourite scream queens.
More from the Empire Podcast: http://www.empireonline.com/tags/empire-podcast/
#234: Cobie Smulders
This week, we welcome Cobie Smulders, star of How I Met Your Mother and this week's Jack Reacher: Never Go Back. Plus, we discuss which movie would have the biggest electricity bill.
More from the Empire Podcast: http://www.empireonline.com/tags/empire-podcast/
#233: Felicity Jones, George Takei
Felicity Jones flies in from a galaxy far, far away this week to talk all things Inferno (and yes, a bit of Rogue One). George Takei also beams in for a colourful, Star Trek-centric chat.
More from the Empire Podcast: http://www.empireonline.com/tags/empire-podcast
#232: Luke Evans, Andrea Arnold
This week, we welcome Luke Evans back into the pod booth (for the third time!) and American Honey director Andrea Arnold (for the first time!).
More from the Empire Podcast: http://www.empireonline.com/tags/empire-podcast/
Daniel Radcliffe Interview Special
A special 30-minute interview special with everyone’s favourite boy wizard, Daniel Radcliffe.
More from the Empire Podcast: http://www.empireonline.com/tags/empire-podcast/
#231: Tim Burton, Alexander Skarsgård, Michael Peña
This week, we welcome the godfather of goth himself Tim Burton into the pod booth; plus, War On Everyone's Alexander Skarsgård and Michael Peña join us for an incredibly anarchic 'interview.'
More from the Empire Podcast: http://www.empireonline.com/tags/empire-podcast/
#230: LIVE with Tom Bennett and Mike Colter
Tom Bennett, Mike Colter, and a sold-out audience join us for a very special live podcast, direct from Empire Live at The O2 in London.
More from the Empire Podcast: http://www.empireonline.com/tags/empire-podcast/
#229: Sam Neill, Colin Firth
This week, we ask Sam Neill several questions about Event Horizon, and if there’s time, some of his other films too (like this week's stunning Hunt For The Wilderpeople). Plus, Colin Firth – potential father of Bridget Jones's baby and the star of this week's Bridget Jones's Baby – pops by the pod booth.
More from the Empire Podcast: http://www.empireonline.com/tags/empire-podcast/
Read our Hunt For The Wilderpeople review: http://www.empireonline.com/movies/hunt-wilderpeople/review/
Read our
#228: Viggo Mortensen & Noel Clarke in the pod booth
This week, we chat to the fantastic Viggo Mortensen. Plus, Noel Clarke joins us in the pod booth as we record the actual podcast!
#227: Jamie Dornan
This week sees Jamie Dornan pop by the pod booth to talk about his numerous upcoming projects, with the team also paying tribute to the inimitable Gene Wilder.
#226: Todd Phillips
Todd Phillips – the man behind The Hangover, Old School and this week's War Dogs – is our guest this week. Plus, we huddle round the pod booth to discuss our favourite campfire movie scenes.
Greatest Movie Villains Special
In honour of our 50 Greatest Movie Villains magazine feature, we discuss the ultimate bad guys and gals of cinema. (Listen to the end for evil cackling.)
#225: Pedro Almodóvar
A true legend steps into the Empire pod booth this week. That's right, the Oscar-winning Almodóvar stopped by to talk about Julieta. The team also discuss the best sports-turned-movie-stars, and find an odd way to hand Bradley Cooper that prestigious EGOT.
#224: Baz Luhrmann
Baz Luhrmann joins us in the pod booth this week to talk about his new Netflix show The Get Down. Plus, we discuss the best beach scenes in movies.
#223: Margot Robbie
Margot Robbie stops by the pod booth this week to talk all things Suicide Squad, The Big Short's bathtub scene, and Infernos nightclub in Clapham (seriously).
#222: Paul Greengrass, Andrew Stanton, Lindsey Collins
This week, we welcome two directors and a producer into the pod booth to talk about their amnesia-based films (Jason Bourne and Finding Dory, respectively).
#221: The cast of Star Trek Beyond
This week's podcast speaks to not one, not two (or three or four) but FIVE members of the Star Trek Beyond cast, who beamed into our podcast to mind-meld with our intrepid team. Live long and podcast!
#220: Mark Rylance / Star Wars Celebration
This week's slightly delayed pod comes direct from Star Wars Celebration Europe. Plus, we welcome Big Friendly Actor Mark Rylance into the pod booth.
Star Trek 50th Anniversary Special
To celebrate the franchise's momentous anniversary, four of our biggest Trek fans discuss their favourite characters, episodes, films, and much, much more. Live long and prosper, everyone.
Independence Day: Resurgence Special with Roland Emmerich
Roland Emmerich stops by the pod booth for a spoilerific chat about all things Independence Day: Resurgence. BEWARE: SPOILERS WITHIN (obviously...).
#219: Christopher Lambert
This week, there can be only one guest.
#218: Elle Fanning, Nicolas Winding Refn
The Neon Demon's Nicolas Winding Refn and Elle Fanning drop by to tell us about being both booed at cheered at Cannes. Plus, we bid a sad farewell to one of Empire's longest-serving stalwarts.
#217: Jeff Goldblum
Bangily bang, that's how it always starts. Then later there's running and um, screaming. (Jeff Goldblum is on the podcast!)
Greatest Sci-Fi Moments Special
The podcast team gather together to discuss the 50 greatest sci-fi moments ever, as selected in the July 2016 issue of Empire magazine. Agree? Disagree? Let us know!
Warcraft Special with Duncan Jones
Duncan Jones drops by the pod booth for a spoilerific half-hour discussion on all things Azeroth. Make sure you've seen Warcraft before listening!
216: Patrick Wilson, James Wan
This week, Patrick Wilson and James Wan chat about working together for the fourth time on The Conjuring 2. Plus, guest host Helen O'Hara talks about Hamilton – obviously.
215: Salma Hayek
Salma Hayek drops by the pod booth this week to tell a tale of Tale Of Tales. Plus, we discuss the bulging new muscles of J.K. Simmons.
The Nice Guys Interview Special With Shane Black, Joel Silver
Our very own Chris Hewitt moderated an audience Q&A with supreme writing/directing/producing team Shane Black and Joel Silver after a very special screening of The Nice Guys.
#214: Kelsey Grammer
We're listening... That's right, Frasier himself, Kelsey Grammer pops in to talk about his illustrious career and new film, Breaking The Bank.
#213: James Bobin, Jodie Foster
This week's podcast is brought to you by the letter 'J', with directors James Bobin and Jodie Foster in to talk about Alice Through The Looking Glass and Money Monster, respectively.
#212: John Carney
This week, director John Carney drops by the pod booth to talk Sing Street, Once and Begin Again. Plus, we debate the most comfortable superhero costumes.
#211: Ewan McGregor, Richard Linklater
This week, Ewan McGregor talks Our Kind Of Traitor and Trainspotting 2; and Richard Linklater talks Everybody Wants Some!! and exclamation marks.
#210: Tom Hiddleston, Hugh Grant, Simon Helberg
Tom Hiddleston, Hugh Grant and Simon Helberg are all on this week's podcast. Two very English gentleman, and one American gentleman with a very good English accent.
#209: Chris Evans, Eric Bana
The current Steve Rogers and former Bruce Banner battle it out in the pod booth this week. The team also settle that lifelong question: is Die Hard better than Citizen Kane?
#208: Sir Ian McKellen, Don Cheadle
This week, we pop round Ian McKellen's house for a cup of tea and a biscuit. Plus, Don Cheadle tells us about the decade-long process behind Miles Ahead.
#207: Jon Favreau, Rebecca Ferguson
This week's Empire Podcast sees Jon Favreau and Rebecca Ferguson adorn the pod booth. We also discuss the best films featuring and/or directed by special guests on Friends (clap clap clap clap clap).
#206: Kevin Costner
Acting/directing legend Kevin Costner drops by the pod booth to talk about his new thriller Criminal. Plus, we talk about garages in films.
#205: Jeff Nichols
This week, we give you the skinny on our brand new X-Men: Apocalypse issue and talk Adam Driver and Michael Shannon with Midnight Special director, Jeff Nichols. With Phil de Semlyen in the hosting seat, we also discuss the best films about moving house.
204: Dexter Fletcher
On this week's podcast, Dexter Fletcher talks about his heartwarming new film Eddie The Eagle. Plus, we review Batman v Superman.
#203: Jeremy Irons
This week, we welcome classically-trained actor Jeremy Irons into the pod booth to talk about his triumvirate of new films. Plus, we debate which directors have had a "Nolan's Run".
#202: Charlie Kaufman, Duke Johnson, Anya Taylor-Joy
This week, Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson talk about their strictly-adults-only animation Anomalisa. Plus, The Witch’s Anya Taylor-Joy talks to us about goats.
#201: Joel and Ethan Coen, Andrew Lincoln
This week, the Coen brothers – the greatest siblings since the De Semylen brothers – stop by the pod booth to talk Hail, Caesar! Plus, Andrew Lincoln tries not to spoil The Walking Dead.
#200: LIVE with Jason Isaacs and Ben Wheatley
On the bumper 200th episode of the Empire Podcast, we're live in front of a Prince Charles Cinema audience, with special surprise guests Jason "Hello to" Isaacs and Ben Wheatley.
#199: Aaron Paul, Anthony Mackie
Aaron Paul and Anthony Mackie, stars of new thriller Triple 9, join us in the pod booth for a particularly gritty and macho interview. Plus, we discuss the Empire Awards nominations.
#198: Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Stephen Fry, Ryan Reynolds - February 12
For sheer A-list star power, this week's podcast rivals most TV chat shows. A stonking FOUR guests join us in the pod booth: Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson talk Zoolander 2; Stephen Fry talks BAFTAs; and Ryan Reynolds talks Deadpool.
#197: Jack Black, Matt Smith
This week, Jack Black talks monsters with Goosebumps, and Matt Smith talks zombies with Pride & Prejudice & Zombies.
#196: Mark Ruffalo – January 29
Mark Ruffalo drops by the pod booth to talk Spotlight, Columbo rumours and Oscar goodie bags, and we discuss movies with no people in them.
#195: Adam McKay - January 22
On the Empire Podcast this week, we are joined by director Adam McKay to talk about Oscar hopeful, The Big Short. That's right: the man who brought us Anchorman entered the pod booth.
#194: Domhnall Gleeson, Alejandro González Iñárritu - January 15
This week, we welcome the star and director of survivalist drama The Revenant; discuss the recently-announced Oscar nominations; and pay tribute to the sadly departed Alan Rickman and David Bowie.
#193: David O. Russell - January 8
The first podcast of 2016 sees director David O. Russell join us in the pod booth for a chat. Plus, we debate the merits of Tarantino, past and present.
Review Of The Year 2015
With 2015 drawing to a close, we assembled four Empire writers into the pod booth to reflect on the year's highs and lows in movieland.
#192: Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Tom Hooper - 18 December
For the final regular podcast of 2015, we welcome Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg to the pod booth for Daddy's Home, and have a chat with director Tom Hooper about The Danish Girl.
Peep Show Special with Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrong
To mark this week's Peep Show finale, we invited Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrong, the show's co-creators and co-writers, to the pod booth, for a Spoiler Special.
#191: Peter Mullan, Tina Fey, Paula Pell
On the Empire Podcast this week, we welcome the legendary Peter Mullan to the pod booth, and sing 'Peter Mullan' to him; plus, we chat to Tina Fey and Sisters screenwriter Paula Pell about the latest Fey/Poehler collaboration.
Christopher McQuarrie Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation Special
Christophere McQuarri, director of Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation, drops by the pod booth for a mammoth, far-reaching, almost-three-hour spoilerific conversation.
#190: Lily Tomlin - 4 December
This week, the legendary Lily Tomlin drops by the pod booth to chat about her delightful new comedy Grandma and we and discuss a little trailer pitting some guy called Batman against a guy named Superman.
#189: Tom Hanks - 27 November
This week, young up-and-comer Tom Hanks stops by to talk about his Bridge Of Spies. Plus, our lovely new editor Terri White also swings by the booth to unleash the secrets of our Force Awakens issue.
#188: Natalie Dormer - 20 November
This week, Natalie Dormer drops by the pod booth to talk Games, both Hunger and Of Thrones. Plus, we discuss Love 3D, or as we christen it, "Gasper Noé's Cockapalooza".
#186: Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller, Saoirse Ronan - 6 November
On the Empire Podcast this week, we welcomed Bradley Cooper and Sienna Miller into our pod-kitchen; Saoirse Ronan and Chris Hewitt compare Irish accents; and we welcome a new recruit to the podcast team.
#185: Nicholas Hoult - 30 October
On the Empire Podcast this week we talk to Nicholas Hoult, who took the time to write us a new jingle - all four notes of it - before discussing peeing on James Corden in his new film, Kill Your Friends.
#184: Cary Fukunaga - 23 October
On the Empire Podcast this week, we Netflix and chill with Beasts Of No Nation director Cary Fukunaga and ‘ooh’ and ‘ahh’ over the latest Star Wars trailer whilst trying to recover from our Back To The Future Day celebrations.
#183: Christian Slater - 16 October
This week saw the Empire Podcast team keep a close eye on all electrical equipment as the booth was invaded by hacker extraordinaire, Mr. Robot. Meanwhile, we explore the gothic delights of Guillermo Del Toro's Crimson Peak, ruminate on great cinematic dinners and react with absolutely no sense of proportion to the recently announced Die Hard prequel.
Guillermo Del Toro Special
Guillermo del Toro needs no introduction: but here’s one anyway. Stopping by the podcast booth to celebrate the release of new gothic horror Crimson Peak, del Toro let on that his latest film already belongs in his personally-directed top three. He also gave us the lowdown on the surprising autobiographical elements to the Tom Hiddleston-starrer, the latest on Pacific Rim 2 and his mission to spread the love on Twitter.
Pan Special
This week sees the Empire Podcast booth transported to Neverland, with not one, not two, but five interviews for family adventure, Pan. Joining us for this pod special is the one-and-only Hugh Jackman, Garrett Hedlund, Rooney Mara, newcomer Levi Miller and director Joe Wright.
#182: Abi Morgan, Sarah Gavron And Robert Zemeckis - 9 October
On the Empire Podcast this week we welcome Abi Morgan and Sarah Gavron, the writer/director pairing behind Suffragette. Meanwhile, the inestimable Robert Zemeckis also came by to talk about his latest blend of polished storytelling and technical virtuosity, The Walk.
#181: Anne Hathaway And Robert De Niro - October 2
This week's Empire Podcast sees a couple of rising stars making an appearance in the audio booth of destiny. Anne Hathaway and Robert De Niro are combining for the first time in The Intern and the pair swung by to chat about their collaboration, make the tea and help with the mail-out. Tune in to see if they got the job.
Ridley Scott Special
It's not every week the Empire Podcast booth welcomes a knight of the realm. Sir Ridley Scott isn't one to stand on ceremony though, so all that silver-polishing and red-carpet-rolling was probably unnecessary. On a very special podcast Special, he chatted about a wide range of topics, from The Martian, to his finest big-screen moments, to the projects that got away.
#180: David Oyelowo - September 25
This week it's the turn of David Oyelowo to take the hotseat and face an inquisition by Empire Podcast. The British actor is moving and shaking in Hollywood these days - he's flaunting his range by following up his barnstorming Martin Luther King turn in Selma with a taut thriller called Captive - and he's off to Botswana in a week to play royalty in a drama. We chatted to him about all this, and 007 to boot.
#179: Jason Clarke, Simon Farnaby and Laurence Rickard - September 18
Braving the treacherous climes of Empire's audio booth this week is the star of Everest, Jason Clarke. We chatted to him about all things mountain-based, and let Bill stars Simon Farnaby and Laurence Rickard take care of all ruff-wearing sea level chitchat.
#178: Kaya Scodelario and M. Night Shyamalan - September 11
This week the Empire Podcast welcomes back two pod-booth veterans/survivors in M. Night Shyamalan and Kaya Scodelario, and a new face - well, voice - in the latter's Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials director, Wes Ball.
#177: Ron Perlman, Tom Hardy and Brian Helgeland - September 4
The big man himself, Mr Ron Perlman, joins us on the podcast this week to explain why you'll find him naked in a fountain and speaking in tongues in Hand Of God. And if an audience with Hellboy isn't enough, we also welcome Legend director Brian Helgeland and star Tom Hardy for a quick podbooth knees-up as well. 'Ave at iiiit!
#175: Jack Whitehall - August 21
This week sees a podcast first. Yes, we've hired a new freelance film reviewer to cast a critical eye over one of the week's cinematic releases, Bad Education. Jack Whitehall is the guy's name, and we can't envisage any conflict of interest there. Rounding out your weekly dose of film-related chatter are all the treasures of Disney's D23 event, as well as an appraisal of Vacation.
#174: Cara Delevingne - August 14
You're not going to believe this, but Cara Delevingne is on this week's podcast. As well as talking about Paper Towns, the upcoming John Green adaptation, she also sings the theme tune to Pokeman. Plus! The Empire Podcast team say goodbye to their editor, Ali. It's been emotional.
#173: Hugh Grant - August 7
The Man From U.N.C.L.E. may be out on August 14, but one of the men from The Man From U.N.C.L.E. is on the podcast this week, namely Mister Hugh Grant esquire. He talks toy cars, the Cold War and spies in the family, while the Empire Podcast team stick to the new Fantastic Four movie and which is the best Chris: Pine, Pratt, Evans or Hemsworth?
#172: Josh Gad - July 31
You might know him as the voice of Olaf from Frozen, or you could be a big Wedding Ringer fan, or you could love his work with Billy Crystal in The Comedians, but however you know him, he's Josh Gad, and here's on the show this week to talk about Pixels. Every single one of them. Ever.
#171: Pete Docter - July 24
The inside story on Inside Out, hand-wringing over the announcement of an Emoji movie and Dan Jolin being habitually wrong on the subject of spoilers. All that and more in this week's podcast, guest hosted by geek queen Helen O'Hara. She ran pell mell straight from an interview with Hugh Grant to get to the podbooth on time. It was terribly dramatic.
#170: Jake Gyllenhaal - July 17
The ferociously talented Jake Gyllenhaal is the guest on this week's podcast, as is the ghost of San Diego Comic Con, which haunts this episode like a, um, ghost. In short: the team wraps up the biggest headlines from the con, and reviews the likes of True Story and Ant-Man.
#169: Mark Wahlberg, Seth MacFarlane - July 10
Just two members of the podcast team appear on this week's episode, namely Phil De Semlyen and Ali Plumb, both of whom are at the San Diego Comic-Con to show off their impressive cosplay costumes. Expect to hear signs of severe sleep deprivation and some seriously lame jokes.
#168: Hayley Atwell - July 3
The charming and wonderful Hayley Atwell stops by the Empire Podcast booth for a lengthy chat about her Marvel TV series, Agent Carter, touching on mid-audition nausea and how she'd fight Empire if it came to it. Elsewhere, the team comes to terms with Terminator Genisys and The Crystal Skull.
#167: Emily Mortimer, Robert Sheehan, Corin Hardy - Edinburgh Live Special - June 26, 2015
You're not going to believe this, but the Edinburgh International Film Festival invited the Empire Podcast team back for the second year in a row, and this is the result: over two hours of silly questions, silly answers, movie news and reviews, featuring not one, not two, but three interviews. We spoil you, we know.
#166: Ian McKellen, The Entourage Team - June 12
Ian McKellen and the cast of Entourage: not your typical gathering of famous folk, but then again, the Empire Podcast is not your typical film programme. Be sure to tune in to hear Gandalf singing songs from Beauty And The Beast, as well as Johnny "Drama" Chase talking about dinosaur heads. It'll make sense in context, promise.
#165: David Hasselhoff, Richard E. Grant - June 12
Two interviewees this week, both of them undeniable legends. First up is David "The Hoff" Hasselhoff, here to talk about his new show, Hoff The Record, which airs June 18 at 9pm on Dave. Then there's Richard E. Grant, here to talk about Queen And Country, as well as - you guessed it - Withnail And I.
#164: Peter Serafinowicz, Paul Feig - June 5
Espionage comedy Spy offers up two interviewees this week, with both director Paul Feig and star Peter Serafinowicz stopping by to reveal everything we ask of them (as all good spies should).
#163: Simon Pegg - May 29
Simon Pegg appears on the Empire Podcast for a record-breaking fourth time this week, talking about everything from this new Star Trek script to his latest, the Brit rom-com Man Up, out now.
#162: Hugh Laurie - May 22
The Prince Regent, Bertie Wooster, Gregory House, Viscount George Bufton-Tufton, Frederick Little and Jasper from 101 Dalmatians - Hugh Laurie's played them all, and been very funny with it. He continues that funny streak with his Empire Podcast interview for Tomorrowland: A World Beyond, explaining how how be manages that pitch-perfect English accent.
#161: Lake Bell, Sarah Gadon - May 15
Mad Max: Fury Road is out this week, as is Pitch Perfect 2, but we're here for the other guys: A Royal Night Out (also in cinemas this weekend) and Man Up (out in two weekends' time) with Sarah Gadon and Lake Bell both in the studio to talk about their respective films.
#160: Kit Harington, Peter Firth, Jon Stewart
The legendary host of America's foremost late-night talk and news satire television program, The Daily Show, Jon Stewart is on this week's podcast to chat about his directorial debut, Rosewater, as well as The Winslow Boy, John Oliver, and much more besides. Also on this episode are Spooks: The Greater Good's Peter Firth and Kit Harington, who talk horses, running up walls and surviving the Oscars.
#159: Carey Mulligan - May 1, 2015
The utterly charming Carey Mulligan is the guest on this week's Empire Podcast, talking about everything from sheep farming to how to use "madding" in a sentence without saying "Far From The Madding Crowd".
#158: Paul Bettany, Charlie Cox - April 24, 2015
Two British actors masquerading as American superheroes are on this week's Empire Podcast, namely Paul Bettany (The Avengers Age Of Ultron's The Vision) and Charlie Cox (Daredevil's, um, Daredevil). Also, the team finally tackle that question of questions: what are the best running scenes in cinema?
#157: Alan Rickman - April 17, 2015
Call him Hans Gruber, The Sheriff Of Nottingham or his real name, Alan Rickman, but the star-cum-director of A Little Chaos is a veritable living legend, and one willing to slum it in the muck and the mire of this week's Empire Podcast. Expect Die Hard references aplenty. Elsewhere, the team wrap their heads around the new Terminator Genisys trailer and come to terms to the new Star Wars The Force Awakens trailer.
#156: Ryan Gosling - April 10, 2015
Ryan Gosling is on the podcast this week to talk about his directorial debut Lost River, out today. So for details on that, his love of cereal and Disneyland-based friendship with Guillermo del Toro, be sure to listen to this episode, which also features reviews of John Wick and Cobain Montage Of Heck.
The Walking Dead Special - Greg Nicotero
Greg Nicotero is a special effects legend. From kicking off his career working with George A. Romero on Day of the Dead to his current role as Walking Dead gore guru - goru? - and director-cum-producer, he's seen everything that could possibly be covered in fake blood be covered in fake blood. Here, he talks all about his life in the business, including the emotional farewells he's given to beloved cast members killed off the incredibly popular show. So, to give fair warning, if you're not full
#155: Ron Moore - April 3, 2015
The Empire Podcast comes out just a little earlier than normal, what with this Easter weekend thing and all, and to celebrate the kind folks at Universal have released Fast & Furious 7 to bamboozle and enthrall. Here, in this hour-long podcast, the team comes to terms with everything Vin Diesel has to offer. Plus, Ron Moore!
Antonio Banderas Interview Special
Antonion Banderas and his beautiful voice take centre stage in this appropriately-named Antonio Banderas interview special Empire Podcast. In town to talk about the delightfully bonkers The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water, we took the time to not only ask about his character in it, Burgerbeard, but also much, much more, from Expendables 3 to The Skin I live In, not forgetting a certain Puss In Boots...
#154: Kenneth Branagh - March 27, 2015
Sir Ken is the one and only guest on this week's show, a show where one of us nearly dies, and there's a good deal of thought given to ways that Tom Cruise could die, depending on what happens with the next Mission Impossible movie. As ever, it makes sense in context, promise.
#153: Sir Ben Kingsley, Sean Penn - March 20, 2015
Two acting legends enter the Empire Podcast booth this week in the form of Sir Ben Kingsley and Sean Penn, with the former here to talk about next week's Robot Overlords and the latter chatting about this week's The Gunman. Elsewhere, the team come to terms with a giant meteorite hitting the earth. In makes sense in context, honest.
#152: Jim Parsons, Gemma Arterton - March 13, 2015
In an unfortunately mildly unexciting week for movies, we have two very exciting guests talking about two movies out next week, namely Jim Parsons for Dreamworks animation Home and Gemma Arterton for serial killer comedy The Voices. The mid-'00s dramedy Ed comes up, for some reason. You'll see.
#151: Julianne Moore, Neill Blomkamp, Terri Tatchell - March 6, 2015
Admire our restraint as we speak to Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell about Chappie and only bring up the new Alien movie twice! Applaud our ingenuity as we ask Julianne Moore whether she does her own running - it works in context, promise - and try to find her a football team to support! Also, listen to this podcast! Exclamation marks!
#150: Margot Robbie - February 27, 2015
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Oscars 2015 Special
Spoiler: Birdman won Best Director and Best Picture, while Boyhood did not. Neil Patrick Harris, meanwhile, did not win Best Presenter, though perhaps failing to make it a real category was his biggest mistake. Fortunately the Empire Podcast is here to make everything all right with its unique blend of sleep deprivation and sugar-high funtimes. Feel free to play us off at any time, by the way.
#149: Bill Nighy, Maika Monroe - February 20, 2015
It's the Oscars this weekend, which means most of the Empire Podcast team are currently trying to amass as much confectionary and is humanly possible in advance of the all-night onslaught of famous folk in very expensive clothing on Sunday. But before all that happens, here's a great little podcast featuring It Follows' wonderful Maika Monrie and the one and only Bill Nighy. Remember, kids: don't buy drugs!
#148: Mark Strong, Peter Strickland - February 13, 2015
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#147: Titus Welliver, Douglas Booth - February 6, 2015
Two of Empire's favourite people star in this week's podcast, with tried-and-true 27 per center Titus Welliver making his debut and old hand Douglas Booth returning for his third visit.
#146: Alex Garland, Paul Thomas Anderson
It's a directorial double-header this week, with Ex Machina's Alex Garland and Inherent Vice's Paul Thomas Anderson on the show to talk about their respective movies and a hell of a lot more (think baths, for some reason). Also, a franchise discussion bonanza - the question being: is anything sacred?
#145: Ethan Hawke, J.C. Chandor - January 23, 2015
Ethan Hawke drops by the Empire Podcast studio this week to talk about the critically-acclaimed Oscar frontrunner Boyhood, which is now out on Blu-ray and DVD, while director extraordinaire J.C. Chandor was here to explain why the title of his latest, A Most Violent Year, doesn't actually reflect the amount of violence in the actual movie.
#144: Meryl Streep, Alicia Vikander - January 16, 2015
The nominations for the 2015 Academy Awards were announced this week, which makes this particular Empire Podcast - featuring interviews from Into The Woods' Meryl Streep and Testament Of Youth's Alicia Vikander - particularly Oscar-themed, with the team taking the time to analyses the snubs and even review a few of the films what got nodded, such as the wonderful Whiplash.
#143: Michael Keaton, Eddie Redmayne, Felicity Jones - January 9, 2015
It's BAFTA nomination week this week, so there are gong-worthy nominees aplenty on the latest Empire Podcast, with Birdman's Michael Keaton and The Theory Of Everything's Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones all dropping by to be better at acting than us. Plus, someone says "I'm Batman" in that voice, and it may well be Mr. Keaton...
#142: Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels, Tim Burton - December 19, 2014
The final regular podcast of 2014 ends on a high note, with some stellar interview talent in the form of Tim Burton (Big Eyes) and three members of the Dumb And Dumber To team: Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels and one of them there Farrelly Brothers everyone's talking about.
#141: Evangeline Lilly, Benedict Wong - December 12, 2014
The Golden Globes nominations were announced, Star Wars revealed some of its names, Jonathan Frakes threw his hat into Star Trek 3's ring - so to speak - and The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies came out. It's been quite a week in movies, so let's talk about it.
Empire Podcast Review Of The Year 2014
The best, the worst, the disappointing, the surprising... the lot, basically. So much is talked about in this year's very special review of the year Empire Podcast that it's over 90 minutes long, and that's without any interviews or anything.
#140: Jude Law, Cary Elwes - December 5, 2014
Two thoroughly handsome Hollywood actor types grace the podcast booth with their presence this week, namely Jude Law, here to talk about his new submarine thriller Black Sea, as well as Cary Elwes, here to talk about this new making of The Princess Bride book, As You Wish. Picking between the two would be inconceivable.
#139: Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis, Hugh Bonneville - November 27, 2014
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#138: Chadwick Boseman, Jemaine Clement, Taika Waititi - November 21, 2014
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#137: Phil Lord and Chris Miller, Morten Tyldum - November 14, 2014
Interview the first: The directors of both 22 Jump Street and The Lego Movie, Phil Lord and Chris Miller, stopped by the Empire Podcast this week to remind the world that everything is indeed awesome. Interview the second: The director of both The Imitation Game and Headhunters, Morten Tyldum, stopped by to remind the world that Benedict Cumberbatch is good at that acting thing.
#136: Anne Hathaway, James Ellroy - November 7, 2014
Interstellar is out this week, so Anne Hathaway is on the Empire Podcast, because if you can get Anne Hathaway on your podcast, you get Anne Hathaway on your podcast. The same goes for James Ellroy, who also dropped by this week, blessing us with his husky voice and excellent nicknaming abilities.
#135: Daniel Radcliffe, Laura Dern - October 31, 2014
This week has been HUGE for movie news, so consider the podcast you're about to listen to a bumper Marvel slate reveal special, as well as a Daniel Radcliffe special, and a Laura Dern special, and a two five-star-film-reviews-in-one-podcast special. You're going to love it. We insist.
#134: Steve Carell, David Ayer - October 24, 2014
Steve Carell drops by this week in honour of Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, while David Ayer keeps things simple - title-wise - as he talks about his latest, Fury. As the latter is a World War II tank movie, expect someone to say 'Tanks a lot' at least once in the podcast. Okay, maybe twice.
#133: Robert Duvall, Anna Faris, James Marsden - October 17, 2014
Yep, it's interview hat-trick time again, with Robert Duvall, Anna Faris and James Marsden all on this week's podcast, here to talk about The Judge, Mom and Best Of Me respectively. Also, DC and Marvel FIGHT TO THE DEATH!
#132: Hugh Grant, Kaya Scodelario - October 10, 2014
The new guests on this week's Empire Podcast are promoting very different films. Kaya Scodelario was here to talk about The Maze Runner, a young adult adaptation that features giant mechanical spider creatures, while Hugh Grant dropped in honour of screenwriting rom-com The Rewrite, as well as playing The Doctor on Doctor Who that one time, and what happened to his Morph. To work out what that all means, just click play or download now...
#131: Sam Neill, Luke Evans - October 3, 2014
Two much-loved Empire favourites enter the podcast booth this week: Sam Neill, in honour of Peaky Blinders' return to our TV screen, and Luke Evans, here to talk about his take on Vlad The Impaler for Dracula Untold. Also, the team review Gone Girl, all while not revealing any spoilers - that's for the Gone Girl spoiler special (featuring David Fincher) which is up on Monday 6...
#130: Rosamund Pike, Lee Child, Antoine Fuqua - September 26, 2014
It's a rare event when there are three interviewees on the Empire Podcast, so be sure to be especially generous with your five-star iTunes reviews this week after you listen to the wise and witty words of Jack Reacher author Lee Child, The Equalizer director Antoine Fuqua and the girl who puts the Girl in Gone Girl, Rosamund Pike.
#129: Liam Neeson, The Riot Clubbers - September 19, 2014
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#128: Sir Roger Moore, George MacKay - September 12, 2014
'Which shop from the whole history of cinema would you most like to visit in real life?' is just one of the questions the Empire Podcast team tackle, with guests Sir Roger Moore and George MacKay dealing with the likes of 'When was the last time you wore knitwear?' and 'How exactly is your name pronounced?' and handling both with aplomb.
#127: William Fichtner, Dan Stevens - September 5, 2014
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#126: Jon Hamm, Richard Ayoade - August 29, 2014
After several weeks' of hype, the Richard Ayoade interview you've long been waiting for is finally here, accompanied by some Mad Man - You see? Because of the TV show? And humour? - called Jon Hamm, with the former here to talk about The Double's Blu-ray release and the latter here to talk about Million Dollar Arm's cinema release. And beards.
#125: Luc Besson, Marion Cotillard - August 22, 2014
Not one but two people of the French persuasian come to class up the Empire Podcast studio this week, namely Two Days One Night's Marion Cotillard and Lucy's Luc Besson. Here to sully up proceedings is the now-ex editor of Empire, Mark Dinning, who enjoys his very own exit interview at the hands of the podcast team.
#124: Wesley Snipes, Terry Crews - August 15, 2014
Things get rather explodey in the Empire Podcast this week, with Expendables 3 in cinemas, and Terry Crews and Wesley Snipes in the booth. Look forward to the former talking about his love of Nando's, the robot dance and pec-popping and the latter doing the Blade voice and imagining what an Expendables character called "Jazz Gumbo" would sound like.
Jackie Chan Live Special
In honour of the DVD and Blu-ray release of his latest, Chinese Zodiac, Jackie Chan took part in a special screening and Q&A at London's very own Prince Charles Cinema on Monday, August 11.
Here is the recording of the interview portion of the evening, which features the legendary martial artist talking about his love of pandas, his U.S. breakthrough and who he'd most like to work with next. Also, he sings. Quite a lot.
#123: Robert Pattinson, Simon Pegg - August 8, 2014
If you've ever wanted to hear Robert Pattinson talk about camels and Simon Pegg explain the finer points of throwing a chair out of a window, you've come to the right Empire Podcast episode.
As well as the star of The Rover (Pattinson) and the star Hector And The Search For Happiness (Pegg), there's also an in-depth discussion of DC's new date selections - more fun than it sounds - and a meander around cinema's best U.S. presidents in an effort to create a new Mount Rushmore.
#122: Chris Pratt, The Inbetweeners - July 25, 2014
Anarchy reigns on this week's Empire Podcast as Guardians Of The Galaxy's Chris Pratt impersonates the cast of The Only Way Is Essex over breakfast, while the Inbetweeners boys - Simon Bird, James Buckley, Blake Harrison and Joe Thomas - discuss all the nicknames they've had for each other over the years. "Bucky O'Hare" comes up, which is a good indication of the weirdness level generally.
#121: Brett Ratner, Jason Blum - July 25, 2014
With many of the regular gang off in San Diego for some sort of comic-book convention or other, things take a turn for the weird on the Empire Podcast this week. Sinister, Paranormal Activity and The Purge: Anarchy producer Jason Blum explains how to set up an inflatable double bed on a plane, while Hercules director Brett Ratner talks about his favourite British confectionary. Elsewhere, "dating dealbreaker" movies come up in conversation, and the concept of "cattens" is given, for free, to the
#120: Andy Serkis, Kevin Feige - July 18, 2014
Here to talk about the upcoming Marvel space opera Guardians Of The Galaxy is the head honcho of all things Marvellous, Kevin Feige, but as you'd expect, we also asked him about just why Edgar Wright left Ant-Man (and much, much more). Then there's Caesar himself, Andy Serkis, who dropped by to talk about his latest, Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes, and suggest what might be his character's favourite cocktail...
24: Live Another Day Special - Jon Cassar
24: Live Another Day is (and was) a limited event television series that ran for 12 episodes - not 24, fact fans - and ended up with a lot of people getting killed by Kiefer Sutherland's Jack Bauer. Now that it's over, it's our duty on the Empire Podcast to talk through the institution that is 24, and where the end of this very special London-set season leaves fans of the show. Here to help us do just that is longtime director and producer of the show, Jon Cassar, who came by to talk clocks, cou
#119: Richard Linklater, Jack Reynor - July 11, 2014
It's a killer week for films, with Transformers: Age Of Extinction, Boyhood, How To Train Your Dragon 2 and Begin Again all officially out this weekend, so this particular issue of the Empire Podcast is bumper-sized. This is partly because of our interviews with young acting hotshot Jack Reynor and Texan old hand Richard Linklater, but it's mainly down to all the reviews.
Peter Fonda Special
The one and only Peter Fonda needs no introduction - but he's getting one anyway. Star of the Hollywood-upturning '60s classic Easy Rider, the father of Bridget, son of Henry and brother of Jane is a legend in his own lunchtime, and thanks to this special Empire Podcast, he may be a legend in yours, talking about everything from sailing, supermodels and surviving his friendship with Dennis Hopper.
#118: Keira Knightley, Dean DeBlois - July 4, 2014
Their movies actually come out next week, but that didn't stop Keira Knightley (Begin Again) and Dean DeBlois (How To Train Your Dragon 2) stopping by to talk the usual assortment of nonsense with the Empire Podcast team. Look forward to hearing the Pirates Of The Caribbean veteran using the phrase "Twizzly tits".
#117: Elijah Wood, Brian Cox - Edinburgh Live Special - June 27, 2014
In honour of the Edinburgh International Film Festival up in, um, Edinburgh, the Empire Podcast team made the long and treacherous journey over Hadrian's Wall to record a very special live edition of the show, complete with two very special interviews: Elijah Wood and Brian Cox.
As well as the really very tame Scottish jokes and worryingly frequent pieces of accidental innuendo you'd expect, you've also got all the news, reviews and Q&As you'd demand. Look forward to hearing Elijah Wood feeling
#116: Ansel Elgort, Jon Favreau - June 20, 2014
This week's Empire Podcast has a relative newcomer to Hollywood in the form of Ansel Elgort, the male lead in the box office-busting weepie The Fault In Our Stars, as well as a relative old hand in the form of Jon Favreau, here to talk about his latest, Chef.
In the news department, the team gets nerdy talking about the chances of a Hulk movie and rather serious when it comes to Kathryn Bigelow's planned hardhitter. Elsewhere, the rises and falls of certain once superfamous actors and actresses
#115: Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Amma Asante - June 13, 2014
While the World Cup encourages many to pay more attention to leathery spherical objects getting pushed around a field by 22 people over in Brazil, the Empire Podcast continues to talk about what really matters: film, TV and why If.... boasts a four dot ellipsis instead of a three dot ellipsis.
Podcast 114: Jason Biggs, Taylor Schilling, Bob Weide - June 6
It's a TV interview special on the Empire Podcast this week, with Orange Is The New Black's Taylor Schilling and Jason Biggs causing a riot in the podbooth and Mr. Sloane's writer/director Bob Weide somehow resisting the undeniable urge to do the same.
#113: Doug Liman, Sam Riley - May 30, 2014
Three big hitters are out this weekend: Edge Of Tomorrow, Maleficent and A Million Ways To Die In the West. From the first, we've got director Doug Liman, here to talk about taking over Trafalgar Square and shooting his friend's wedding videos, while from the second, we've got Sam Riley, whose gravelly voice will make your brain rumble. As for the third, well... Seth MacFarlane's a busy man.
Outside of the interview department, the team talk about Edgar Wright's Ant-Man anticlimax, Quentin Tara
#112: Ian McKellen, Hugh Jackman - May 23, 2014
This week, Empire Podcast veteran Hugh Jackman stops by to talk about London's second best fish and chip shop, Wolverine's love of Rick Astley and his top drawer pirate voice, with newcomer Ian McKellen instead using his interview to pitch for a job as a film reviewer. Both were in town to talk X-Men: Days OF Future Past, which the team also do, on top of some general cinematic chit chat and this week's news.
#111: Viggo Mortensen, Hossein Amini, Gareth Edwards - May 16, 2014
In the first Godzilla movies, The King Of The Monsters was actually just a guy in a suit, but now with the advent of modern SFX, men stomping on miniature cities are no longer required. But if they were, Gareth Edwards would be the man shouting "Punch the water tower!" and "Drop kick that battleship!", as he's the director of the new reboot of Toho's beloved scaley scoundrel. He's joined in the Empire Podcast this week by Two Faces Of January's Viggo Mortensen (actor) and Hossein Amini (director
#110: Michael Fassbender, Next Goal Wins - May 9, 2014
Sensibly deciding to take his papier-mache head off for his Empire Podcast interview, Michael Fassbender was on fine form as he talked about his latest, Frank, as well as his stoat impersonation, his deleted dance sequence at the end of Prometheus and his love of Buck Rogers. Also under the interview lamplight were Mike Brett and Steve Jamison, directors of the inspirational American Samoa football documentary Next Goal Wins, who talk about how they made the beautiful game feel beautiful again.
#109: Maisie Williams, Domhnall Gleeson - May 2, 2014
Game Of Thrones' very own Arya Stark, Maisie Williams, dropped by the Empire Podcast studio this week to talk about 'The Cinnamon Challenge', that Vine she made for The Red Wedding and how Charles Dance introduces himself. Then there's Dohmnall Gleeson, here in honour of Frank (out next week), who happily chats about... well, you're best off finding out for yourself.
#108: Martin Freeman, David Cross - April 25, 2014
You might know him as Bilbo Baggins, or John Watson, or Tim From The Office (his character's full name), but this week Martin Freeman is actually Lester Nygaard from the new TV version of Fargo. He talks to us about everything from the joys of swearing to Billy Bob Thorton's pathological fear of antiquities. Elsewhere, David Cross drops by to talk about the new film he wrote and directed, Hits, and we resist the temptation to grill him about Arrested Development, Mr. Show and The Increasingly Po
#107: Lukas Moodysson, Marc Webb, Avi Arad - April 18, 2014
This week there's Amazing Spider-Man 2 director Marc Webb, as well as Amazing Spider-Man 2 producers Matt Tolmach and Avi Arad, not forgetting Sweden's very own Lukas Moodysson, here to talk about his latest, We Are The Best, on top of your usual dose of movie news and nonsense.
Barry Norman Special
The Film programme. That theme tune. This 48-minute podcast. And why not? The legendary movie journalist that is Barry Norman stopped by the Empire Podcast booth to talk about his new book, his extraordinary career and just how close he came to punching Robert De Niro.
#106: Sam Claflin, Gareth Evans - April 11, 2014
With The Raid 2 coming out, it made sense to invite its director round for a chat about it, which explains why Gareth Evans appears on this week's podcast. Likewise, as Hammer's latest horror, The Quiet Ones, has Sam Claflin as one of its leads, it seemed like the right thing to ask him over for a cup of tea and a good scream. In other news, there's some new movie news, and the question-and-answer portion of proceedings, Carry On comes up. "Oo matron" and so on.
#105: Anne Hathaway, Darren Aronofsky - April 4, 2014
Four big films are coming out this weekend, namely Noah, The Double, Divergent and Rio 2, which may or may not have something to do with half term arriving. (Hint: it definitely does). In honour of two of said films, there are two interviewees this week, starting with the most beautiful Spix's Macaw parrot in cinema, Anne Hathaway, and ending with the fascinating filmmaker Darren Aronosfky. Expect stories about punching people in the face.
#104: Kermit, Miss Piggy, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan - March 28 2014
In this super-sized, extra-large, seriously bloody bumper edition of the Empire Podcast, there are six interviewees. Count 'em, six: Muppets Most Wanted's Kermit and Miss Piggy, Captain America: The Winter Soldier's Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan, plus Inside No. 9's Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton. All of this, for free. We're too good to you, we know.
#103: Josh Brolin, Jack O'Connell - March 21 2014
In this week's Empire Podcast, mind-blowingly masculine Labor Day star Josh Brolin is joined by a similarly manly British counterpart in the form of Jack O'Connell (of Starred Up, This Is England and 300: Rise Of An Empire fame). Elsewhere, the team spoil the concept of spoilers for everyone, and decide which unassuming English actor should get their own Taken action franchise.
#102: Imogen Poots, Jonathan Glazer - March 14 2014
Do you feel the need, the need to, um, listen to the Empire Podcast? Good, because here's this week's edition, featuring the exceptionally delightful Imogen Poots (of A Long Way Down fame) and Jonathan Glazer (of Under The Skin, Sexy Beast and that Guinness advert fame). Look forward to in-depth discussions of both Steven Seagal and Chuck Norris's oeuvres.
Terry Gilliam Special
Terry Gilliam. American. Cartoonist. Artist. Python. Film maker. Former Python. Film maker quite a few more times. Opera buff. Screenwriter. Beard owner. Former American. Python once more and director of The Zero Theorem, his latest film, and star of his very own Empire Podcast inteview special. Look forward to hearing his excellent laugh on many occasions (and several excellent anecdotes, to boot).
#101: Wes Anderson, Andrew Scott - March 7 2014
For their 101st podcast proper, the team celebrate by interviewing The Grand Budapest Hotel's Wes Anderson and The Stag's Andrew Scott, not forgetting to take the mick out of John Travolta's Oscar flub and make several off-colour jokes about Iggy Pop. It's what you do on special occasions like this.
Oscars 2014 Special
Jennifer Lawrence fell over, presenters flubbed their lines and talented folk were played off by the orchestra for talking too much - it can only be the Oscars. In this special Empire Podcast, four sleep-deprived film journalists talk about the glitzy bash held in Hollywood's Dolby Theatre last night, where our sources tell us an award ceremony of some sort was being held. Find out more by clicking play now...
#100 (The Live Show): Ice Cube, Will Poulter, You Guys
To celebrate its centenary, the Empire Podcast was recorded LIVE in front of an audience of lucky, lucky fans in Leicester Square's very own Prince Charles Cinema. Surprise guests included Ride Along's Ice Cube, who finally decided who'd win in a fight between George Clooney and David O. Russell, and We're The Millers' Will Poulter, who tried to explain how awkward it is to spend days at a time kissing Jennifer Aniston and Emma Roberts.
#99: Matthew Modine, Akiva Goldsman, Nymphomaniac - February 21 2014
It's another heck of an Empire Podcast this week, with A New York Winter's Tale's Akiva Goldsman and Full Metal Jacket's Matthew Modine in the interviewee's chair, and Lars von Trier's Nymphomaniac on the reviewing chopping block - steady now - joined by Stranger By The Lake and Only Lovers Left Alive.
Look forward to Marvel characters getting their equivalents from the world of music - David Bowie for Tony Stark! - and a bit of post-match analysis for the BAFTAs. Also, you may want to prepare
#98: Nick Frost, Bob Balaban - February 14 2014
With so many films out this Valentine's Day - The Lego Movie, Her, Cuban Fury, The Monuments Men - it's a bumper-sized Empire Podcast this week, featuring interviews with Bob Balaban and Nick Frost, as well as in-depth discussions on movie love songs, Taylor Lautner's BBC 3 absolution and, um, Wario.
#97: Matthew McConaughey, Gary Oldman, Spike Jonze - February 7 2014
On this week's podcast, Matthew McConaughey talks about his Oscar-nominated turn in Dallas Buyers Club, Spike Jonze explains Her and Gary Oldman discusses hanging out with Bowie and working for sandwiches...
#96: Peter Berg, Alex Gibney - January 31 2014
On this week's Empire Podcast, Peter Berg desperately tries to avoid giving away any spoilers about his latest, Lone Survivor, while documentary director Alex Gibney is more than happy to talk about Lance Armstrong, what with his new film being called The Armstrong Lie and all.
#95: Chris Pine, Oscar Isaac - January 24 2014
The fourth Jack Ryan, Chris Pine, drops by the Empire Podcast booth to talk about Leeds nightclubs, hating computer games and singing 'Agony' in the upcoming Into The Woods. The first (and probably only) Llewyn Davis, Oscar Isaac, also drops by the Empire Podcast booth, instead talking about "cat agitators", "ass agitators" and having sex with robots.
#94: Juliette Lewis, James Purefoy - January 17 2014
With Chris Hemsworth announcing the Oscar nominations on behalf of the Academy yesterday, this week's Empire Podcast is chock-full of awards-based chit-chat. So if you want to be in the know about who's (probably) going to win, listen no further.
Elsewhere, the team talks to James Purefoy about Noel Edmunds, Mr. Blobby and Season 2 of The Following, while Juliette Lewis talks the time to talk August: Osage County and, um, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.
#93: Steve McQueen, Chiwetel Ejiofor - January 10 2014
After a couple of weeks away for Christmas, the Empire Podcast is back. Featuring 12 Years A Slave's director (Steve McQueen) and star (Chiwetel Ejiofor), there's also - surprise, surprise - a review of said film, as well as conversations about Sam Rockwell, Ron Swanson and Gerald Butler as Bodhi in the Point Break remake.
Empire Podcast Review Of The Year 2013
2013 was the year that was, and this is the Empire Podcast Review Of The Year (that is). So for a slightly anarchic meander around the past 12 months of moviedom - and some spoilers that you'd expect with that - then press play on this here podcast.
#92: David O. Russell, J.C. Chandor, Judd Apatow, Adam McKay - December 20 2013
In this week's super-sized bumper edition, the Empire Podcast team talk good Christmas movies, bad Christmas movies and movies that aren't really Christmas movies but you still watch at Christmas. Then there are four directors - count 'em! - in the interviewee's chair, namely Anchorman 2's Judd Apatow and Adam McKay, All Is Lost's J.C. Chandor and American Hustle's David O. Russell.
#91: Luke Evans, Richard Armitage, Matt Berry - December 13, 2013
If you want to hear Richard Armitage swear in Dwarfish (and turn his head around 360 degrees), this is the podcast to listen to. Also here to talk The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug was Luke Evans, who was charm personified as he lulled several members of the team into starting a fan club. And as if that weren't enough, the sonorous Matt Berry dropped by in honour of his fantastic sitcom, Toast Of London, and just say words in a beautiful way.
#90: Daniel Radcliffe, Alexander Payne - December 6, 2013
The Boy Who Lived is The Boy Who Talked About American Football On The Empire Podcast this week, while Alexander Payne doesn't mention sport of any kind, instead sticking to his latest, Nebraska. Elsewhere, movie AIs get the once over, and the team wonders about Wonder Woman in the Batman Vs. Superman project.
#89: Colin Farrell, Joe Eszterhas - November 29, 2013
Two of the best talkers in the business, Colin Farrell and Joe Eszterhas, feature in the Empire Podcast this week. The former dropped by to talk Saving Mr. Banks, bad hair bleaching and Anthony Hopkins' anecdotes, while the latter took the time to talk Showgirls, Basic Instinct and much much more.
The Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy Special - Edgar Wright And Simon Pegg
Shaun Of The Dead came out in 2004. Hot Fuzz came out in 2007. The World's End came out 2013. Now... it's all over. With The World's End out on Blu-ray and DVD, Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright enjoyed a weekend of Q&As and signing sessions, but somehow still found the time to talk to the Empire Podcast for 75 minutes for the definitive Cornetto Trilogy discussion.
#88: Stanley Tucci, Elizabeth Banks, Francis Lawrence - November 22, 2013
Though you can read her wise words here and watch her talk "super snoods" here, Jennifer Lawrence isn't on this week's Empire Podcast, but her good friend and favourite music video director, Francis Lawrence (who just so happened to have helmed The Hunger Games: Catching Fire), is, joined as he is by Stanley Tucci and Elizabeth Banks.
George A. Romero Special
The living legend that is George A. Romero was in London recently for the BFI's Gothic season, and inbetween giving talks and introducing special screenings of his films, GAR - as nobody calls him - popped into the Empire Podcast booth talk to us about zombies, Knightriders and the projects that almost came to be...
#87: Forest Whitaker, Allen Leech - November 15, 2013
Forest Whitaker is the Oscar-winning actor who's played pool sharks, samurai warriors and dictators in his time, but this week you can see him as a butler in The White House in, um, The Butler. Allen Leech, meanwhile, is the star of Downton Abbey who's not scaring you witless in In Fear, also out today.
#86: Jude Law, Alfonso Cuarón - November 8, 2013
It's Alfonso Cuarón appreciation week on the Empire Podcast, and what makes this so perfect is that Alfonso Cuarón is on this week's Empire Podcast. It's all in honour of Gravity - out now - and, of course, Hermione's right hook to Draco's face in The Prisoner Of Azkaban. Then there's Jude Law, in the podbooth for Dom Hemingway - out next week - who talks about Breaking Bad, Sherlock Holmes 3 and "cock socks".
#85: Tom Hiddleston, Kevin Feige, Alan Taylor, Mark Kermode - November 1, 2013
It's a great weekend to be a cinemagoer in the UK. Two five-star films and a certain Thor: The Dark World are showing at your local multiplex - with any luck, anyway - and this is just the podcast to celebrate that fact. Look forward to trailer tantrums, London falling down and spaceships crashing to earth (in a manner of speaking, anyway).
#84: Harrison Ford, Stephen Merchant, Shane Meadows - October 25, 2013
There's a killer triple-bill of interviewees on this week's Empire Podcast, with Harrison Ford, Stephen Merchant and Shane Meadows all stopping by, one for Ender's Game, one for Hello Ladies and the other for Made Of Stone's DVD release (we'll let you work out which matches up with which). Elsewhere, the team talk witches, almost perfect film endings and what Sir Ben Kingsley is keeping under his hat...
#83: Paul Greengrass, David Gordon Green, Don Mancini - October 18, 2013
Three directors drop by the Empire Podcast booth this week, one for Captain Phillips (Paul Greengrass), another for Prince Avalance (David Gordon Green) and the last for The Curse Of Chucky (Don Mancini). Elsewhere, the team use the words "Tactical Chunder" when talking about Pacific Rim 2, and somehow Enough Said involves Stan Lee hiding under someone's bed.
Tony Gilroy Screenwriting Special
Tony Gilroy is an Oscar-nominated screenwriter, the pen wielder behind the Bourne movies and his own directorial work, such as Michael Clayton (which got him his Oscar nod), Duplicity and, most recently, Bourne Legacy.
In town for a special BFI screenwriters' speech, we asked Gilroy to drop round the Empire Podcast booth afterwards to talk about how he battles writers' block and brings his ideas to the big screen. Look forward to details on the future of the Bourne franchise, his take on the cu
#82: Hayley Atwell, Gareth Evans, Douglas Booth - October 11, 2013
A triple-bill of interviews for you this week, from Agent Carter herself, Hayley Atwell, to your latest Romeo, Douglas Booth. In the middle is the director of The Raid - and, as you'd expect, The Raid 2 - Gareth Evans, who was in town to talk about his contribution to V/H/S/2.
#81: James McAvoy, Saoirse Ronan - October 4, 2013
It's an Atonement reunion on this week's Empire Podcast, with James McAvoy here for Filth and Saoirse Ronan dropping by in honour of How I Live Now. Look forward to the former talking about his "hairy mutant you-know-whats" and the latter explaining how to swing a lightsaber. Elsewhere, the Podcast Team tackle TV finales, tie-in theme park rides and the return of Narnia...
#80: Dexter Fletcher, Matthew Fox - September 27, 2013
Dexter Fletcher is on fine form during this week's Empire Podcast, talking about his latest, Sunshine On Leith, as well as Doom, The Long Good Friday and his Nando's Black Card. Matthew Fox, meanwhile, is on hand to talk about his time on Party Of Five, his love of Batman, and why he decided to shoot Emperor with Tommy Lee Jones (and not appear in a rom-com, say).
#79: Cillian Murphy, Luke Treadaway, Matthew Lewis - September 20, 2013
What movie unexpectedly made you cry? Which film quotes do you use on a regular basis without even realise you're quoting anything? How much did Grand Theft Auto V earn in its first day on sale again? The Empire Podcast team answer all these questions and more, also finding the time to interview Luke Treadaway and Matthew Lewis for their British indie, The Rise, and Cillian Murphy, in honour of his BBC series Peaky Blinders.
#78: Ron Howard, Roland Emmerich - September 13, 2013
Two A-list directors on the Empire Podcast this week, namely Rush's Ron Howard and White House Down's Roland Emmerich, and four Empire journalists, namely... well, you'll find out soon enough. Elsewhere, the team review both aforementioned films (as well as Insidious Chapter 2) and discuss Disney songs, film directors' best adverts and Jurassic World.
#77: Chris Hemsworth, Daniel Bruhl, David Lowery - September 6, 2013
Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Bruhl share stories from their days on soap sets during their interview on this week's Empire Podcast, also touching on runaway killer tyres, Mario Kart and Scalextric in honour of Rush, out next week.
Elsewhere, Ain't Them Bodies Saints director David Lowery reveals his neverending love of Star Wars, Malick and moustaches, and the team discuss the 50 Shades Of Grey casting news, Tranformers 4's Dinobots - whatever they are - and the best composers that ever composer
#76: Jim Rash, Nat Faxon, Shane Carruth - August 30, 2013
You may know him as Community's Dean Pelton, but in real life he's Jim Rash, the man who co-wrote The Descendants with Nat Faxon and won an Oscar in the process. The award-winning pair were in the Empire Podcast booth this week to talk about their directorial debut, The Way, Way Back, but also managed to talk about the final episode of Friends - no, really - and how it feels to dress up as Lady Gaga.
Elsewhere, super-indie melon-twister extraordinaire Shane Carruth, who previously brought us ti
#75: Jason Sudeikis, Amanda Seyfried - August 23, 2013
It's a hard-to-spell-and-hard-to-say American actors double-bill this week with both We're The Millers' Jason Sudeikis and Lovelace's Amanda Seyfried joining Team Empire for chats about moustaches, dry heaving as a workout regime, stuffed animals and corpses (amongst other things). Find out what Amanda Seyfried's favourite cloud is! Win Seasons 1-5A of Breaking Bad on Blu-ray thanks to Squarespace.com! Listen to Jason Sudeikis singing TLC's Waterfalls! Hear our thoughts on the Ben Affleck Batma
Sharlto Copley And Neill Blomkamp Elysium Special
District 9's Sharlto Copley and Neill Blomkamp reunite for another sci-fi action film in the form of Elysium, only this time there are fewer prawns and far more Matt Damons - that is to say, just one. Joining us for a relaxed chat about everything from Neill's aborted Halo movie to Hot Toys Joker figurines (as well as the movie itself, of course), the actor-director pair are on top form, so you won't want to miss out on this one.
#74: John Cleese, Jeff Wadlow - August 16, 2013
As well as chatting with the comedy hero that is John Cleese, this bumper-sized edition boasts a lot more to look forward to. Get ready to hear the team talk comedy sketches that deserve a chance on the big screen, the further casting announcements from the Expendables 3 camp, Twitter users to follow, Elysium, Kick-Ass 2 - which explains our interview with the director, Jeff Wadlow - not forgetting 2 Guns, Planes itself and the greatest character introductions in cinema's history. Also: random t
#73: Armando Iannucci, Anthony Stewart Head - August 9, 2013
Now busier than central Norwich on market day, Armando Iannucci is the man who brought us On The Hour, The Day Today, The Thick Of It, In The Loop, Time Trumpet, Veep and now Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa, but despite his hectic schedule, he still found time to drop by the Empire Podcast booth for a natter about Hitler, sneaking into US government buildings and perfecting the Alan whine.
Elsewhere, the silver-tongued Anthony Stewart Head is grilled by our own Buffy buffs about his latest, Percy J
Mitch Hurwitz Arrested Development Special
Mitch Hurwitz is the worryingly funny writer-cum-director-cum-showrunner behind Arrested Development, the cult classic sitcom that enjoyed just two and a half seasons between 2003-2006, only to come back from the dead this year thanks to Netflix and its legions of fans. In this very special Empire Podcast, the comedy genius behind Pop Pop, Franklin The Puppet, the banana stand and much more talks all about Season 4, as well as what we can expect from the Arrested Development movie...
#72: Alan Partridge, Steve Coogan, Logan Lerman - August 2, 2013
Alan Partridge finally arrives on the ruddy bloody big screen next Wednesday, so this week's Empire Podcast features an extensive interview with the man behind the cardigan, Steve Coogan, where he reveals the origins of both Lynn and Michael, as well as what to expect from (the beginning of) the sequel...
#71: Hugh Jackman, James Mangold, Noah Baumbach - July 26, 2013
The delightful black-and-white Noah Baumbach movie Frances Ha goes head-to-head with James Mangold's summer blockbuster The Wolverine this weekend, and so the two directors duke it for supremacy in his week's Empire Podcast. Mangold does have one clear advantage, though: Hugh Jackman's in his corner. Gulp.
Comic-Con Special: Marc Webb, Hayley Atwell
It's been one hell of a Comic-Con this year, with Avengers 2 getting a subtitle, the whole of the X-Men: Days Of Future Past crew turning up and some intriguing idea about Superman teaming up with Batman in a film getting the green light from Warners HQ. There to cover it all was Team Empire, and here is the podcast special to prove it, complete with interviews with The Amazing Spider-Man 2 director Marc Webb and the one and only Agent Carter, Hayley Atwell.
#70: Nic Cage, Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Edgar Wright - July 19
The World's End is out this weekend, which probably explains why Simon Pegg, Nick Frost and Edgar Wright were kind enough to drop in the podcast booth to talk all about it, on top of pitching a new movie set in Twickenham (in all makes sense in context).
Also out this weekend is serial killer thriller The Frozen Ground, which starts John Cusack and Nic Cage, with the latter also stopping by to talk about everything from Daffy Duck to Mike Myers, not forgetting Expendables 3, mimes and hitting
#69: Guillermo Del Toro, Pacific Rim, Monsters University - July 12, 2013
There's one hell of a monster mash in this week's Empire Podcast, with Pixar's Monsters University going head to head with Guillermo Del Toro's Pacific Rim. Will Sulley smash a jaeger in its robo-noggin, or shall Mike and co. be left trembling before the mighty power of Del Toro's metal mountain men? Only time will tell.
Elsewhere in the podcast, you can expect our usual mix of general film chit chat - what's your favourite visual gag in films, by the way? - and movie news and reviews. Listen
#68: Jesse Eisenberg, Isla Fisher, Reece Shearsmith - July 5, 2013
If you've ever wanted to hear magic tricks on a podcast - come on, you know you want to - then look no further, as Now You See Me's Isla Fisher and Jesse Eisenberg are more than happy to oblige in this week's Empire Podcast.
As well as dove impersonations and expert card shuffling, there's A Field In England's Reece Shearsmith on crashing the Empire Awards, pretending to take magic mushrooms and delivering that line in Spaced. Which line, you wonder? Best get listening then...
#67: Steve Carell, Seth Rogen - June 28, 2013
Two of the nicest guys in show business, Steve Carell and Seth Rogen, dropped into the Empire Podcast studio this week, the former to talk about Despicable Me 2, the latter in honour of his latest, This Is The End. Along the way, Carell enjoys using his Gru voice for no particular reason, and Rogen explains how he battled with Edgar Wright and his team over apocalytic movie titles.
Elsewhere, the fine art of watching films in foreign climes is dicussed, and the concept of 'tracking' in cinema
Neil Gaiman Special
Neil Gaiman is the award-winning author (and graphic novelist) who's brought us The Sandman, American Gods and The Graveyard Book, as well as Stardust and Coraline, which film fans may recognise from the movies they inspired. And as Mr. Gaiman has a new book out - The Ocean At The End Of The Lane - we took the time to speak to him at length about his career, his good pal Hayao Miyazaki and the Gaiman movies that might have been...
#66: Jason Statham, Max Brooks - June 21, 2013
The one and only acting man mountain that is Jason Statham drops by the Empire Podcast studio this week, as does the man who has scared millions to tears after writing the World War Z - the book, not the film - Max Brooks.
As if hearing from those two fascinating fellows wasn't enough, there's also our tribute to the late great James Gandolfini, as well as a discussion of the upcoming Fifty Shades Of Grey adaptation and which tagline is the very best ever written.
Joss Whedon Much Ado About Nothing Special
Joss Whedon is director of the Serenity, Avengers and now... a black and white Shakespeare adaptation that he shot in just 12 days with a group of friends and a very small film crew. In this very special podcast, you can hear him (and the stars of the film, Alexis Denisof and Amy Acker) talk about the project, as well as details on Avengers 2, Quicksilver and, as they say, much, much more...
#65: Man Of Steel, Dominic Cooper, Antje Traue - June 14, 2013
We don't need to tell you a new Superman movie's out this weekend - after all, the theme's been stuck in your head for months now - but here we go anyway: Man Of Steel is out out out now now now, and we've got an interview with Zod's right-hand woman (Faora, played by Antje Traue) to prove it. We've also got Zack Snyder and David S. Goyer, but that's for next Monday's spoiler special...
#64: Damian Lewis, Michael Shannon - June 7, 2013
Matt Smith will be Doctor Who no longer. Karen Gillan will play a baddie in Guardians Of The Galaxy. The world stands in awe of the astonishing twist in Game Of Thrones. Oh, and Michael Shannon drops by to talk about The Iceman, Man Of Steel and QPR/Chelsea derbies, joining Homeland's Damian Lewis in the interviewee's chair this week. It's all going on in this week's Empire Podcast, and no mistake.
Gillian Anderson X-Files Special
Gillian Anderson has been appearing on our TV screens rather a lot of late, turning up in NBC's Hannibal and another serial killer series, The Fall, over in the UK. In the Empire Podcast studio to talk about both those shows - as well as a little phenomenon some like to call "The X-Files" - Anderson is frank, funny and slightly forgetful as she talks about her pub quiz adventures with Simon Pegg, an upcoming project known as 'The Curse Of The Buxom Strumpet' and what X-memorabilia she stole back
#63: M. Night Shyamalan, Saoirse Ronan - May 31, 2013
It's a difficult-to-spell interviewee double bill this week, with M. Night Shyamalan and Saoirse Ronan both in the podcast studio, the former to talk After Earth (out next week) and the latter to talk Byzantium (out this week). Elsewhere, the team sound the NEW ISSUE horn and discuss the thorny issue of spoilers.
#62: Alec Baldwin, Nicolas Winding Refn, Kristen Scott Thomas - May 24, 2013
The Cannes Film Festival is almost over. To celebrate that fact, here's our final Cannes 2013 podcast, which sees a very special guest in the form of newcomer Stevie Wong coming into the Empire fold to talk about the hits (and the misses) of Cannes V.66. Over in London, we review The Hangover Part III, Epic and My Neighbour Totoro, and in the interviews department, Alec Baldwin and James Toback talk about their documentary Seduced And Abandoned and Drive director Nicolas Winding Refn shares a fe
#61: Carey Mulligan, Tobey Maguire, Jeffrey Tambor - May 17, 2013
The Great Gatsby goes head to head with Fast and Furious 6 in this week's special Cannes-based Empire Podcast, with FF6 narrowly overtaking TGG at The Valley Of The Ashes to win three stars to Jay-G's two. Discover more about the world's biggest film festival by listening to one of the world's top five Damos - that's Damo Wise, by the way - talking about it (at length), then be sure to check out Carey Mulligan, Tobey Maguire and Joel Edgerton chatting about that Gatsby chap and Pop Pop himself,
British Board Of Film Classification Ratings Special
In an Empire podcast first, readers posed their Twitter questions, queries and grievances on movie ratings direct to the man who oversees classifications on a daily basis, BBFC executive director David Austin. Why was Gremlins rated 15? Why did What Ever Happened To Baby Jane? go from an 18 to 12? What’s a 12A for, anyway? What happened with A Good Day To Die Hard? We made Austin a cup of tea, showed him to the hot seat and fired your questions at him for 55 fascinating minutes.
#60: Star Trek Into Darkness, Damon Lindelof, Jeff Nichols - May 10, 2013
Star Trek Into Darkness is out, so it's time to talk Kirk-y. And who better to do so than the writers and producers of the film, namely Bryan Burk, Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman and Damon Lindelof? Also in the interviewee's chair is the director of Mud, Jeff Nichols, who explains how he made a movie where Matthew McConaughey keep his top on. Sort of.
#59: David S. Goyer, Rian Johnson - May 3, 2013
The Blade trilogy, the Dark Knight trilogy, Man Of Steel, Godzilla... what's David S. Goyer going to do next? Well, aside from create a TV show called Da Vinci's Demons, appear on this week's Empire Podcast. Joining him is Looper and Brothers Bloom and Brick's Rian Johnson, who was kind enough to drop by just because he was in the area. Elsewhere, the podcast team talk musical gems in the movies and whether Kelsey Grammer has ever actually tossed any eggs. You'll see.
#58: Iron Man 3, Steve Coogan, Don Cheadle - Apr 26 2013
Don Cheadle threatens to vaporise a member of the Empire Podcast team this week, while Steve Coogan does a pitch-perfect Roger Moore impersonation, just because he can. Sample discussion question: who has the best chin in cinema? Sample news story: Zach Braff is on the Kickstarter gravy train. Sample reviews: Iron Man 3, The Look Of Love and Bernie - and in a special teaser insert, a spoiler-free preview of our thoughts on Star Trek Into Darkness.
#57: Evil Dead, Olympus Has Fallen, Mathieu Kassovitz - Apr 19 2013
The star and director of Evil Dead, Jane Levy and Fede Alvarez, stop by the Empire Podcast studio to talk blood, body parts and chainsaws this week, with only two of us fainting during the process. Elsewhere, La Haine director and Amelie star Mathieu Kassovitz drops in in honour of his latest, Rebellion, and the podcast team talk embarrassing interview questions, yearly Star Wars outings and funerals in the movies (for some reason...).
#56: Aaron Eckhart, Sylvester McCoy - Apr 12, 2013
When he was a kid, Aaron Eckhart lived in the UK. When he lived in darkest Surrey, he picked up the acting bug, attempted to become a singer/songwriter and played a bit of rugby. Since then, he's gone onto appear in The Dark Knight, Thank You For Smoking and now Olympus Has Fallen, and in this week's Empire Podcast you can find out all about how it happened. Then there's Radagast The Brown himself, the one and only Sylvester McCoy, who is charm personified as he talks about his days as The Docto
John Boorman Special
John Boorman is the legendary British film director behind Point Blank, Deliverance, Zardoz, Excalibur, The Emerald Forest, Hope and Glory, The General, The Tailor of Panama and many more. As he has been recently awarded a BFI fellowship - which is currenly showing a selection of his films in a special John Boorman season - we asked him into the podcast studio for an in-depth interview, and here, ladies and gentlemen, is the fascinating result.
#55: Rufus Sewell, Harmony Korine - Apr 5, 2013
Rufus Sewell refers to himself as "that twat on a horse" in his interview on this week's Empire Podcast, whereas Harmony Korine does no such thing, instead talking about James Franco phallating a gun in honour of his latest, Spring Breakers. Elsewhere, a very important discussion is blown wide open: which film director has the best voice? Also, we say goodbye to the one and only Roger Ebert...
#54: Danny Boyle, Jonathan Pryce, David Holmes - Mar 29, 2013
The long Easter weekend may have finally arrived, but that's not going to stop us from unleashing a new Empire Podcast on your generic MP3 devices, no sir/madam. Boasting interviews from Danny Boyle (Trance), Jonathan Pryce (G.I. Joe: Retaliation) and David Holmes (Good Vibrations) as well as reviews of Trance, G.I. Joe: Retaliation and Good Vibrations, it's chock-full of cinematic goodness, as well as an in-depth discussion of Star Trek's tribbles. Of course.
Danny Boyle Special
Danny Boyle is the man behind Trainspotting, Sunshine, 28 Days Later, Slumdog Millionaire, The 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony and now Trance, a twisty-turny hypno-thriller that sees James McAvoy's art auctioneer taking part in a heist with professional criminal Franck (Vincent Cassel) - only he forgets where he put the loot, which is where Rosario Dawson's hypnotist comes in to try and salvage a solution from the back of his noggin. Here, then is an extended interview with the great man, touching
#53: Ryan Reynolds, Jason Bateman, Melissa McCarthy - Mar 22, 2013
In this week's Empire Podcast, Ryan Reynolds talks about the proposed Justice League movie (as well as that infamous Deadpool spin-off script of his), and Melissa McCarthy and Jason Bateman tell the world the current state(s) of play for Bridesmaids 2 and the upcoming Arrested Development series on Netflix. Then there are reviews for this week's releases - including The Croods, Identity Thief and Jack The Giant Slayer - as well as your questions answered and more than a few news stories...
Warwick Davis Special
Harry Potter, Star Wars, Leprechaun, The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, Life's Too Short... Warwick Davis has appeared in many, many things, but nothing quite like his very own Empire Podcast special. Celebrating the 25th anniversary of his starring role alongside Val Kilmer in Willow, there's plenty on incantations, morphing and magical acorns, as well as some top baking tips, just because.
#52: Eli Roth, Mark Strong, Eran Creevy - Mar 15, 2013
The Empire Podcast celebrates its first birthday in this very special (and extra silly) 52nd episode. Joining the usual gang of film-loving misfits are The Last Exorcism Part II's Eli Roth and Welcome To The Punch duo Eran Creevy and Mark Strong (yep, him again), making this an interview-packed spectacular. So get your downloading fingers at the ready and join us for bad jokes, movie birthday chat and reviews of The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, The Paperboy, Red Dawn and more...
#51: Sam Raimi, Zach Braff, Tim Roth - Mar 8, 2013
This week's episode boasts three special guests, namely Tim Roth, Sam Raimi and Zach Braff. Mr. Roth was here to talk Broken, lunchbox movies and working with Bette Davis, whereas Messrs. Raimi and Braff rocked up to the Empire Podcast studio to tell us all about that Oz chap everyone's banging on about.
Elsewhere, the team tackle such tricky quandaries as how you solve a problem like Fassavoy - it'll make sense in context, promise - and which books should be adapted into films as soon as possi
#50: Mar 1, 2013 - Mark Wahlberg, Paul Andrew Williams
In a week where his '70s-influenced thriller hits cinemas, the one and only Mark Wahlberg comes to the Empire Podcast studio to talk Broken City, Ted 2 and what to expect from his role in Transformers 4. Elsewhere, a whole heap of movies get reviewed - including Broken City, Stoker and Hansel And Gretel: Witch Hunters - and the director of Song For Marion, Paul Andrew Williams, gets quizzed about Terence Stamp's fitness regime.
Oscars 2013 Special
The 2013 Academy Awards happened - and in the middle of the night on a premium channel, to boot. To help you make sense of what happened on Sunday night, three of Empire's Oscars reporting team stayed up through the night to record this special round-up edition of the show, just for you. So with this in mind, expect a distinct lack of coherence... even more so than normal.
#49: Feb 22, 2013 - Naomie Harris, Olga Kurylenko
Two Bond girls made their way to the Empire Podcast this week: two whole, real-life Bond girls. It might seem like we planned this, but that's just not true - it turns out Terrence Malick's To The Wonder, which happens to star Quantum Of Solace's Olga Kurylenko, is out in cinemas this week, and Skyfall is coming out on DVD and Blu-ray to boot. Elsewhere, the team review Song For Marion, Cloud Atlas and Mama, with the news section full of stories about apes.
#48: Feb 15, 2013 - Jai Courtney, David Morrissey, David Oyelowo
The guests: Jai Courtney, David Morrissey, David Oyelowo, Alden Ehrenreich, Alice Englert. The films: A Good Day To Die Hard, Beautiful Creatures, This Is 40. The news: Robert Downey Jr., Quentin Tarantino, The BAFTAs. The questions: a bit weird. All this and more in this bumperiest of bumper-sized Empire Podcasts...
#47: Feb 8, 2013 - John C. Reilly, Nicholas Hoult
This week's Empire podcast is somewhat video game-flavoured this week, with J.J. Abrams' plans for a Portal and/or Half-Life movie in the news section and Wreck-It Ralph in the reviews department. In the readers' questions category, expect an in-depth discussion of those Star Wars spin-off movies everyone's talking about - Porkins: The Movie! - as well as some ruminating upon that tricky conundrum of whether certain deleted scenes should have actually remained in the movie. Then there are our in
#46: Feb 1, 2013 - Denzel Washington, Robert Zemeckis, Rafe Spall
With regular host Chris Hewitt away on a top secret mission to Los Angeles, Helen O'Hara takes his place in the podcast hosting chair, overseeing a show where reviews editor Ian Freer explains just how star ratings work, The Muppets sequel gets analysed and the week's releases - including Flight and Bullet To The Head - are reviewed. Plus, look forward to a snippet of the longer Denzel Washington and Robert Zemeckis interview and a fresh 15 minutes with I Give It A Year star Rafe Spall and I Giv
Denzel Washington And Robert Zemeckis Flight Special
Flight unites Denzel Washington with Robert Zemeckis, and this Empire Podcast special does likewise, with the Oscar-winning actor and Oscar-winning director spending over 40 minutes talking about their new drama as well as their careers in general, Nelson Mandela's house and their favourite Beatles albums.
#45: Jan 25, 2013 - Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mark Strong
In a week where two five star movies hit cinemas - namely Zero Dark Thirty and Lincoln - the Empire podcast is bumper-sized, boasting lengthy reviews of both films, as well as a discussion of the JJ Abrams / Star Wars: Episode VII rumours, your questions answered and news of Steven Spielberg's return to TV with Masters Of The Air. Oh, and The Governator drops by for a chat, as does the one and only Mark Strong.
#44: Jan 18, 2013 - Kathryn Bigelow, James Purefoy
This week, the Empire Podcast team mourn the (potential) loss of HMV on the high street, interview Zero Dark Thirty director Kathryn Bigelow and The Following star James Purefoy, review Django Unchained, The Sessions and Monsters, Inc. 3D and answer listeners' ever-so-slightly bonkers questions. Listen out for a passionate discussion of movie pet hates, and be sure to let us know your own over the next few weeks...
#43: Jan 11, 2013 - Tom Hooper, Toby Jones
What are the curveballs thrown out by this week's Oscars nominations? Who's likely to trade blows (not literally) with Lincoln on the night itself? Empire kicks off the new year with an avalanche of analysis, chatter and Sebastian the Hedgehog references. (Yes, we're still doing that.) That isn't all this week, though. If you have a trip to Les Misérables planned then catch a fascinating chat with director Tom Hooper and Toby Jones talking about his portrayal of Hitchcock in The Girl.
Empire Podcast Review Of The Year 2012
2012 was the year that was, and this is the Empire Podcast Review Of The Year (that is). So for a slightly anarchic meander around the past 12 months of moviedom - and some spoilers that you'd expect with that (see the 32 minute onwards for the likes of 'Death Of The Year' and so on) - then press play on this here podcast.
#42: Dec 21, 2012 - Christopher McQuarrie, Colin Trevorrow, Juan Antonio Bayona
The final Empire Podcast of the year brings three directors into the studio, namely Christopher McQuarrie (Jack Reacher), Colin Trevorrow (Safety Not Guaranteed) and Juan Antonio Bayona (The Impossible). For more podcast fun, be sure to download the second Hobbit Spoiler special, as well as the Review Of The Year special, which is due up on 31st December.
#41: Dec 14, 2012 - Andy Serkis, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage
Pretty much all other big name releases are running scared this week, hiding in their metaphorical trolls' caves as The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey stomps into cinemas. So with that in mind, this particular Empire Podcast boasts three interviews with stars from said film, namely Andy Serkis (Gollum), Martin Freeman (BIlbo) and Richard Armitage (Thorin), as well as your regular dose of film-related fun and general movie blather.
Eric Idle Special
Eric Idle, then. Member of Monty Python's Flying Circus, The Rutles and The Unseen University, he's been making people chuckle for years and years, be it on stage, TV screen, cinema, record player or in this instance, podcast recording booth. Here you can find out more about his ongoing Spamalot musical (and the court case it's currently embroiled in), his downloadable stage show What About Dick?, what it was like to shoot The Holy Grail and even his involvement in this year's Olympic Closing Ce
#40: Dec 7, 2012 - Sam Rockwell, Martin McDonagh, Warp Films
In the latest Empire Podcast, Seven Psychopaths' Sam Rockwell and Martin McDonagh talk about the latter's follow-up to In Bruges and the former's love of dancing on screen. Elsewhere, Warp Films' 10th anniversary is celebrated and Sightseers writers and stars Alice Lowe and Steve Oram stop by for a chat. Plus, the team try to work out exactly what it is about The Wolf from Pulp Fiction that makes him worthy of such a reputation...
#39: Nov 30, 2012 - Jake Gyllenhaal, Ben Wheatley, Stephen Woolley
A interview triple bill for you this week with actor Jake Gyllenhaal (End Of Watch), director Ben Wheatley (Sightseers) and producer Stephen Woolley (Great Expectations) all dropping by to talk a whole load of waffle with the Empire Podcast team. Elsewhere, the Star Wars Episode VII news round-up continues apace, Star Trek Into Darkness gets a synopsis and Susan Boyle biopic casting suggestions are made.
#38: Nov 23, 2012 - End Of Watch, Silver Linings Playbook, Frank Spotnitz
End Of Watch and Silver Linings Playbook are two movies well worth watching this weekend. Want more details than just that? Listen to this very podcast, and details are what you shall have - as well as more Star Wars Episode VII titbits, a discussion of journalism on film and an obligatory mention of Nick's very good friend, The Rock.
#37: Nov 16, 2012 - Graham Linehan, Amour, The Master, Breaking Dawn Part 2
Graciously accepting our repeated offers to come round for a cup of tea, Father Ted co-creator Graham Linehan (and the man behind The IT Crowd) popped in for a chat in front of some Empire Podcast microphones, and you can listen to the resulting interview in this very podcast. As well as some wise words from the man who came up with a character as bonkers as Father Jack, the Empire Podcast team review a pair of five star releases - namely Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master and Michael Haneke's Am
#36: Nov 9, 2012 - Mark Millar, Skyfall Writers, World War Z
Appearing on this week's Empire Podcast are Kick-Ass and Wanted creator Mark Millar - and now head honcho of Fox's Marvel properties - and Skyfall writers Neal Purvis and Robert Wade. As well as those two interviews, there are discussions of actors that will put you off watching a movie entirely and the recent arrival of the trailer for World War Z. For all that and a whole lot more, click play or download or just subscribe to our RSS feed...
#35: Nov 2, 2012 - Star Wars VII, Matt Smith, Jason Biggs, Argo
A huge piece of movie news arrived this week in the form of Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm for $4 billion and the announcement of Star Wars: Episode VII's release in 2015. Naturally, the first chunk of this week's Empire Podcast discusses this in depth, with the rest filled out by your usual dose of reviews, interviews (including Doctor Who's Matt Smith and Grass Roots' and American Pie's Jason Biggs) and other highly entertain cinematic bits and bobs.
Sir Roger Moore Special
The one and only Sir Roger Moore stopped by the Empire Podcast studio this week in honour of his latest book, Bond On Bond. The result is this 40-minute special interview podcast, which covers everything from the third Bond's Christmas dinner tips to explaining the plot of Inception. A word of warning, however - though he's as debonair and funny as ever, the 85-year-old Sir Roger does speak rather softly, so do pay attention 007...
#34: Oct 26, 2012 - Skyfall, Halloween, Jeffrey Combs
What better way to celebrate Halloween than listening to Empire's Halloween kinda-sorta special? As well as discussions of all things ghouly and grisly, Skyfall gets a non-spoilery review, the Iron Man 3 trailer gets dissected and we interview the Re-Animator himself, Jeffrey Combs.
#33: Oct 19, 2012 - Martin Short, Catherine O'Hara, Katie Featherston
In a bumper, 90-minute plus Empire Podcast, the team welcome Martin Short and Catherine O'Hara for Frankenweenie, Katie Featherston for Paranormal Activity 4 and Benh Zeitlin and Quvenzhané Wallis, the director and star of Beasts Of The Southern Wild. Elsewhere, all the Bonds get recast and the London Film Festival is discussed, as well as all the film news and reviews that you expect from the world's biggest movie magazine.
#32: October 12, 2012 - Nicolas Winding Refn, Richard Coyle, Ruby Sparks, Pusher
Two movie-making pairings come to the Empire Podcast booth this week, namely Pusher's Nicolas Winding Refn and Richard Coyle and Ruby Sparks' Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris. Elsewhere, Adele's Skyfall tune gets dissected and corrected, the possibility of Taken 3 is discussed and the Empire Podcast team work out what the best cameo in all of cinema is. The results? Inconclusive, but entertaining.
#31: September 28, 2012 - Taken 2, Liberal Arts, David Thomson
In a week boasting three Empire Podcasts, at least one had to be the actual regular Empire Podcast - and this, ladies and gentlemen, is it. In the discussions department, there's directorial hot streaks, movies banned by mother and rewatchable gems, whereas over in the reviews section we've got Taken 2, Liberal Arts and The Perks Of Being A Wallflower all getting a grilling. Then there's the brilliant David Thomson, the author of The Big Screen: The Story Of The Movies And What They Did To Us, w
James Bond Special - Britt Ekland, Stevan Riley
Today, Friday October 5, has been designated by Q branch as Global Bond Day. So with Skyfall hitting UK cinemas on October 26 - and US ones on November 8 - there's no better time to talk Bond, and Empire is more than happy to oblige. So join Chris Hewitt, Nick de Semlyen, Dan Jolin and Neil Alcock for a journey through 007's back catalogue, as well as interviews with Mary Goodnight herself, Britt Ekland, and the director of the new Bond documentary Everything Or Nothing, Stevan Riley. Be warned,
Red Dwarf Special - Craig Charles, Chris Barrie, Doug Naylor
Join Empire for a trip down Red Dwarf memory lane - remember, Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers - as we talk talkie toasters, Alan Rickman playing Lister, Howard Goodall's bonkers lyrics, Kryten impersonations, bullshitting Bill Clinton, getting "Smeg!" shouted at you in the street with Chris Barrie, Craig Charles and Doug Naylor in honour of Red Dwarf's 10th series, currently airing on Dave.
#30: September 28, 2012 - Liam Neeson, Elizabeth Olsen
Two five-star movies are discussed on this week's Empire podcast, with Looper and Holy Motors both on our reviewing checklist, supported by the conversational talents of interviewees Liam Neeson (for Taken 2) and Elizabeth Olsen (for Liberal Arts). Elsewhere, the podcast team talk sneaking into movies underage and accidentally dressing up as Sickboy from Trainspotting. As you do.
#29: September 21, 2012 - Olivia Williams, Ken Loach
Olivia Williams and Ken Loach drop by the Empire podcast studio for a quick chat this week, and as Chris is off on a work trip to somewhere in deepest, darkest Hollywood, Helen takes over hosting duties. Under her watchful guidance, the team talk shouting out in movies, the Avengers Assemble Blu-ray conundrum and sick day movies, on top of reviewing Now Is Good, Killing Them Softly, Hysteria and Savages.
#28: September 14, 2012 - ParaNorman, Premium Rush, The Sweeney
For our 28th podcast, we welcome ParaNorman directors Sam Fell and Chris Butler into the studio to talk about zombies, bad puns and people with shovel-like faces. Elsewhere on the podcast, the team discuss film's best insults - "Why you stuck-up, half-witted, scruffy-looking nerf-herder!" - and the rare occasions they've been forced to leave a cinema. Then there are reviews of ParaNorman, Premium Rush and The Sweeney, as well as more than a few dodgy cockney accents.
#27: September 7, 2012 - Dredd, Anna Karenina, John Hillcoat And Nick Cave
During the recording of Empire's 27th podcast, the sound desk exploded (slightly), forcing the team to relocate to a different studio. Because of this, the audio on our interview with Lawless' director and writer (respectively), John Hillcoat And Nick Cave, is slightly on the shonky side - but fortunately they're both excellent and informative humans beings, so it all evens out. What's more, Chris and company also get the chance to review Dredd, Anna Karenina and That's My Boy, as well as discus
#26: August 31, 2012 - Karl Urban, Tim And Eric
Following on from his appearance on our special Comic-Con podcasts earlier in the year, Karl Urban stops by the podbooth to (amongst other things) recreate Singin' In The Rain using his Judge Dredd voice. Elsewhere, Tim and Eric - of Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job fame - talk about their feature debut, Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie, and the podcast team review Total Recall, A Few Best Men and Cockneys Vs. Zombies.
Adam Buxton Special
Adam Buxton is somewhat of a cult hero. Thanks to his work on the Adam & Joe show on Channel 4, then on XFM, then on BBC 6Music, he's amassed such a dedicated fanbase that we knew that releasing just ten minutes of our chat with him would be a great waste. Here then is a half-hour long special with the bearded podcast king, boasting the question-asking talents of Chris Hewitt, Nick de Semlyen and Ali Plumb.
#25: August 24, 2012 - Tony Scott Tribute, James Marsh/Adam Buxton
Three interviews make this a jam-packed Empire Podcast this week, with Imposter director Bart Layton, Shadow Dancer (and Man On Wire) director James Marsh and veritable Podcast king, Adam Buxton, all coming round for a chat with the team. Elsewhere, we pay tribute to the one and only Tony Scott, review The Three Stooges (but not Keith Lemon) and discuss the fear-enducing powers of the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man.
#24: August 17, 2012 - Len Wiseman And Robert Webb
The director of the Total Recall remake, Len Wiseman, and the star of Peep Show (and now The Wedding Video), Robert Webb, are an unlikely pairing, but here they are, the guests on the latest edition of the Empire Podcast. Elsewhere, the team discuss which books they'd like to see turned into movies, The Expendables 2 and just how to pronounce Zach Galifianakis' name.
#24: August 17, 2012 - Len Wiseman And Robert Webb
The director of the Total Recall remake, Len Wiseman, and the star of Peep Show (and now The Wedding Video), Robert Webb, are an unlikely pairing, but here they are, the guests on the latest edition of the Empire Podcast. Elsewhere, the team discuss which books they'd like to see turned into movies, The Expendables 2 and just how to pronounce Zach Galifianakis' name.
#24: August 17, 2012 - Len Wiseman And Robert Webb
The director of the Total Recall remake, Len Wiseman, and the star of Peep Show (and now The Wedding Video), Robert Webb, are an unlikely pairing, but here they are, the guests on the latest edition of the Empire Podcast. Elsewhere, the team discuss which books they'd like to see turned into movies, The Expendables 2 and just how to pronounce Zach Galifianakis' name.
#23: August 10, 2012 - Brave And The Bourne Legacy
Alas and alack, thanks to The Olympics, there weren't as many famous folk about to step into our podbooth this week. So here's one of our rare interview-less efforts, where the team discuss such important things as Joss Whedon returning to direct Avengers 2, the on-going Justice League project as well as reviews for Brave and The Bourne Legacy.
#23: August 10, 2012 - Brave And The Bourne Legacy
Alas and alack, thanks to The Olympics, there weren't as many famous folk about to step into our podbooth this week. So here's one of our rare interview-less efforts, where the team discuss such important things as Joss Whedon returning to direct Avengers 2, the on-going Justice League project as well as reviews for Brave and The Bourne Legacy.
#23: August 10, 2012 - Brave And The Bourne Legacy
Alas and alack, thanks to The Olympics, there weren't as many famous folk about to step into our podbooth this week. So here's one of our rare interview-less efforts, where the team discuss such important things as Joss Whedon returning to direct Avengers 2, the on-going Justice League project as well as reviews for Brave and The Bourne Legacy.
#22: August 3, 2012 – Dolph Lundgren And Fernando Meirelles
For Empire's 22nd podcast, two titans of their field - one literally a titan - dropped by to say hello, namely Expendables 2's Dolph Lundgren and 360's Fernando Meirelles. Elsewhere in the podcast, we discuss Danny Boyle's London 2012 opening ceremony, the confirmation that The Hobbit will be a trilogy and the news of Chris Marker's passing.
#22: August 3, 2012 – Dolph Lundgren And Fernando Meirelles
For Empire's 22nd podcast, two titans of their field - one literally a titan - dropped by to say hello, namely Expendables 2's Dolph Lundgren and 360's Fernando Meirelles. Elsewhere in the podcast, we discuss Danny Boyle's London 2012 opening ceremony, the confirmation that The Hobbit will be a trilogy and the news of Chris Marker's passing.
#22: August 3, 2012 – Dolph Lundgren And Fernando Meirelles
For Empire's 22nd podcast, two titans of their field - one literally a titan - dropped by to say hello, namely Expendables 2's Dolph Lundgren and 360's Fernando Meirelles. Elsewhere in the podcast, we discuss Danny Boyle's London 2012 opening ceremony, the confirmation that The Hobbit will be a trilogy and the news of Chris Marker's passing.
#21: July 27, 2012 – Jason Isaacs And Peeder Jigson
This week, the Empire Podcast team review Searching For Sugarman and The Lorax, mop up a couple of remaining questions on The Dark Knight Rises, and interview the likes of Jason Isaacs and the one and only Peeder Jigson.
Don't know who Peeder Jigson is? Best head this way then... https://twitter.com/PeederJigson/
#21: July 27, 2012 – Jason Isaacs And Peeder Jigson
This week, the Empire Podcast team review Searching For Sugarman and The Lorax, mop up a couple of remaining questions on The Dark Knight Rises, and interview the likes of Jason Isaacs and the one and only Peeder Jigson.
Don't know who Peeder Jigson is? Best head this way then... https://twitter.com/PeederJigson/
#21: July 27, 2012 – Jason Isaacs And Peeder Jigson
This week, the Empire Podcast team review Searching For Sugarman and The Lorax, mop up a couple of remaining questions on The Dark Knight Rises, and interview the likes of Jason Isaacs and the one and only Peeder Jigson.
Don't know who Peeder Jigson is? Best head this way then... https://twitter.com/PeederJigson/
Jason Isaacs Special
The one and only Jason Isaacs stepped into our humble podcast recording studio recently, and here is the incredibly eloquent and really rather funny result, touching on everything from Soccer Aid to Event Horizon, Harry Potter to fake moustaches.
And just to let you know, there are 20 F-bombs and two C-bombs denotated over the course of this podcast. True story.
#20: July 20, 2012 – Christopher Nolan And Ice-T
This week, there's a very big movie out in cinemas - The Dark Knight Rises - and a couple of smaller ones, including the critically acclaimed history of hip-hop, Something From Nothing: The Art of Rap. The directors of both films appear on this week's podcast, with Christopher Nolan and Ice-T offering up some wise words to balance out our manic waffle.
P.S. A Dark Knight Rises spoiler podcast will arrive on Tuesday 24th, so look forward to that once you've watched the film in question!
Comic-Con Podcast #3 - Guillermo del Toro And Richard Taylor
Sorry for the delay, folks, but at long last we can announce that the third and final part of this year's Comic-Con Daily Podcast Specials is online, for your listening pleasure. And it's quite a doozy as well. Not only do Chris Hewitt, Nick de Semlyen and Jaime Blanco dissect the busiest, biggest day in the history of the 'Con, when the likes of Pacific Rim, Man Of Steel, Iron Man 3 and The Hobbit all graced Hall H, but we talk to Guillermo del Toro and Lord of the Rings legend, Richard Taylor.
Comic-Con 2012 Podcast #2 - Karl Urban And Neill Blomkamp
On today's edition, our crack team - Nick de Semlyen, Chris Hewitt and James White - discuss everything they saw, heard, did and smelled at the 'Con today. And that includes (deep breath) panels for The Walking Dead, spoiling the comic's 100th issue for Jonathan Ross, Resident Evil: Retribution, The Big Bang Theory, Looper, Total Recall, Game Of Thrones, Marvel's Item 47 short and the first look at Neill Blomkamp's new film, Elysium.
Comic-Con 2012 Podcast #1 - Jackie Chan
Empire heads to San Diego for Comic Con 2012, with our team recording the first of three special daily podcasts discussing and dissecting the best of what they've seen so far at the world's biggest geek gathering - and in this instance, interviewing the one and only Jackie Chan.
Gremlins Podcast - Zach Galligan
Zach Galligan, the star of Gremlins, Gremlins 2: The New Batch, Waxwork and many more stopped by the Empire podbooth for a chat about his career, with the emphasis most definitely on his work with the likes of Gizmo and Mogwai. Here's the result, which even features titbits on a possible Gremlins 3 project...
#19: July 6, 2012 – Bobcat Goldthwait
This week's episode sees the Empire Podcast team discussing such important things as movie collectibles, stripping on film and how exactly continental drift works. As well as all that, there are reviews of Ice Age 4, Magic Mike, God Bless America and a hilarious interview with the one and only Bobcat Goldthwait.
Empire Podcast - William Friedkin Special
The director of The French Connection, The Exorcist, Rampage, Sorceror and now Killer Joe popped round recently to talk about his career, his passions and fried chicken - and here's the full, unedited, worryingly long interview for you to enjoy at your leisure.
N.B. You'll probably enjoy this special podcast more a) if you have already watched Killer Joe and b) if you've already watched To Live And Die In L.A. There is a big spoiler from that film mentioned at the 38th minute, so if you want t
Empire Podcast #18: June 29, 2012 – Jon Hamm And Stellan Skarsgård
This jam-packed Empire podcast features interviews from Jon Hamm and Stellan Skarsgard, a fond farewell to the one and only Nora Ephron and all the movie news and reviews you can shake a metaphorical stick at.
Empire Podcast - Emily Blunt Special
Emily Blunt is a thoroughly charming person. For proof, watch any of her movies, and for even more proof, have a listen to this special Empire podcast with her, where she obstinately refuses to do the cookie monster impression she displays in The Five-Year Engagement into one of our microphones.
Empire Podcast #17: June 22, 2012 – Noel Clarke And Emily Blunt
On this week's Empire podcast, you can look forward to hear both Emily Blunt and Noel Clarke's dulcet tones, as well as our admittedly slightly less dulcet warblings. Plus, all the news, reviews and general movie nonsense you could possibly fit into an hour-long podcast.
Empire Podcast #16: June 15, 2012 – Kermit The Frog And Pepe The King Prawn
The Sunshine Boys themselves, Danny DeVito and Richard Griffiths, came into the podbooth this week, as did Kermit the Frog and Pepe the King Prawn, making this special extended edition of the Empire podcast an unequivocal, absolute must listen. So if you're ready for the most Muppetational, Sunshiney podcast ever, click play immediately.
Empire Podcast - Danny DeVito And Richard Griffiths Special
To be in the presence of Danny DeVito and Richard Griffiths is a real treat, so as we could only put in about 15 minutes or so of our interview with the two Sunshine Boys in our podcast proper, here's the extended cut, just for you.
Empire Podcast - Robert Weide Special
The director of Woody Allen: A Documentary drops by for a chat about - what else? - Woody Allen: A Documentary. As well as dosing us up on Woody-related facts, we also learn about the origins of Weide's much-loved sitcom, Curb Your Enthusiasm, which is nice. Plus, what a Woody Allen impersonation! Trust us, you'll be impressed...
Empire Podcast #15: June 8, 2012 – Simon Pegg, Crispian Mills And Robert Weide
The fifteenth Empire podcast boasts not one, not two, but three interviewees, namely the director and star of Fantastic Fear Of Everything - Crispian Mills and Simon Pegg - and the man behind Woody Allen: A Documentary, Robert Weide. Pegg tells us a little bit about Star Trek 2, The World's End and Nick Frost's dance moves, while Weide delivers an Allen impersonation that'll knock your socks off. Elsewhere, we've got plenty of movie news and reviews for you to enjoy, not to mention the podcast d
Empire Podcast - Neil Marshall Game Of Thrones Special
Call yourself a Game Of Thrones fan? Watched all the episodes so far? Then we have a podcast you're going to enjoy really rather a lot. Director of the ninth episode in the second season - that's Blackwater, by the way - Neil Marshall dropped by to talk about how he handled stepping in at the last moment, and even tells us a few things about previous projects (like Centurion, Dog Soldier and The Descent) as well as upcoming plans...
Empire Podcast #14: June 1, 2012 – Rick McCallum
For our fourteenth podcast, we tackle the tricky topics of One Shot becoming Jack Reacher, GI Joe 2 getting put back until 2013 and a little sci-fi you might have heard of called Prometheus. The Angels' Share and Snow White And The Huntsman also end up on the reviewing griddle, and the enormously entertaining Lucasfilm producer Rick McCallum drops by for a fantastically frank chat.
Empire Podcast #13: May 25, 2012 – Gareth Evans
In the thirteenth Empire podcast, we discuss the merits of movie tattoos, the comedic aspirations of Men In Black 3, the wisdom of remaking The Magnificent Seven and why Gareth Evans' father is Wales' leading authority on martial arts flicks.
Empire Podcast #12: May 18, 2012 - Wes Anderson, Barry Sonnenfeld
For our twelfth episode, we discuss the return of a certain bear from Peru and the rest of the week's key bits of movie news, then we've got our reviews of this week's releases, including The Raid and The Dictator. Plus, Wes Anderson himself pops round for a chat, as does Men In Black director Barry Sonnenfeld.
Empire Podcast - Edgar Wright Special
Following in the hallowed footsteps of Terence Stamp and Mike Newell comes this special 43-minute podcast starring the one and only Edgar Wright, the man behind Hot Fuzz, Shaun Of The Dead and Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World. As well as talking about his latest online project, Brandon Generator, Mr. Wright also discusses his work and answers some of your pressing questions...
To subscribe to us on iTunes, head this way: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-empire-podcast/id507987292
Empire Podcast #11: May 11, 2012 - Edgar Wright
For our eleventh episode, we discuss the Avengers sequel, Kick-Ass 2 and Avatar 4 - and, as they say, much, much more. Not forgetting our reviews of this week's releases, including Dark Shadows, Jeff Who Lives At Home and How I Spent My Summer Vacation. Oh, and Edgar Wright says hello, but more on him later...
Empire Podcast #10: May 4, 2012 - George RR Martin
For our tenth episode, we discuss the unstoppable success of The Avengers, possible Hulk spin-offs for Mark Ruffalo, Alan Partridge hitting the big screen and much, much more. Some of that 'much, much more' includes reviews of this week's releases - think American Pie: Reunion, Safe and The Lucky One - as well as Game Of Thrones author George RR Martin dropping by for one of the nerdiest chats of all time.
Empire Podcast #9: April 27, 2012 - Kevin Feige, Eugene Levy and Jennifer Coolidge
For our ninth episode, we discuss why James Cameron should rule the world, Pixar's 'Day Of The Dead' movie and Iron Man 3's casting news - alongside reviews of this week's releases, including Avengers Assemble, Damsels In Distress and Being Elmo. Oh, and Marvel head honcho Kevin Feige drops by to give us some pretty interesting Iron Man 3 details, and American Pie: Reunion's Eugene Levy and Jennifer Coolidge come round to compliment our microphones. For some reason.
Empire Podcast - Mike Newell Special
Mike Newell is the man behind Four Weddings And A Funeral, Donnie Brasco, Harry Potter And The Goblet of Fire and many more - and recently, he came into the Empire office to talk about his favourite film ever, La Grande Illusion. But after that, he spent some time with us chatting about the rest of his career... and Johnny Depp's unusual activities on set. You'll have to listen through to see what we mean, to be honest. Anyway, here's the resulting mega podcast, just for you. Enjoy!
Empire Podcast #8: April 20, 2012 - Guy Pearce
For our eighth episode, we discuss Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, 'moral bankruptcy' and Sin City 2 - plus reviews of this week's releases, including Salmon Fishing In The Yemen, Marley and Lockout. Oh, and Guy Pearce drops by to say hello, which was nice.
Empire Podcast #7: April 13, 2012
For our seventh episode, we discuss cheesey action movie one-liners, Gary Ross leaving the Hunger Games franchise and first 10 minutes of Prometheus - and hear some wise words from Mike Newell on La Grande Illusion, as well as The Cabin In The Woods director Drew Goddard on, um, The Cabin In The Woods . Not forgetting our reviews of this week's releases, including The Battleship and - would you believe it? - The Cabin In The Woods.
Empire Podcast #6: April 07, 2012
The sixth episode of The Empire Podcast sees Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, Ali Plumb and Phil de Semlyen discuss the big news of the week, including Ashton Kutcher playing Steve Jobs and the return of Woody Allen on screen, as well as reviewing Headhunters and Titanic 3D. Also, Battleship's Peter Berg, Taylor Kitsch and Brooklyn Decker pop round to say hello.
Empire Podcast - Terence Stamp Special
In last week's podcast - Empire Podcast #4 - we included about 15 minutes of our hour-long Terence Stamp interview. Here we've got the whole thing, complete with the former General's anecdotes on Marlon Brando, being approached in saunas and his tantric guru phase. You'll see what we mean.
Empire Podcast #5: March 30, 2012
The fifth episode of The Empire Podcast sees Chris Hewitt, Nick de Semlyen, Helen O'Hara and pod debutant, Dan Jolin, discuss the big news of the week, including Anchorman 2 and The Jameson Empire Awards, and review Wrath Of The Titans and StreetDance 2 3D. Also, Wild Bill's Dexter Fletcher and Jason Flemyng drop in for a frank and funny chat.
Empire Podcast #4: March 23, 2012
For our bumper-sized fourth episode, we discuss Nathan Fillion's God-like status, Jack Ryan's possible return and Tim Burton's Dark Shadows - and hear some wise words from Aardman co-founder Peter Lord, as well as General Zod himself, Terence Stamp. Not forgetting our reviews of this week's releases, including The Pirates! In An Adventure With Scientists, The Hunger Games and Wild Bill.
Empire Podcast #3: March 16, 2012
For our third episode, we discuss the return of Braveheart, the Garbage Pail Kids making a comeback and the upcoming Eastwood/Beyonce collaboration, A Star Is Born. Not forgetting our reviews of this week's releases, including We Bought A Zoo, Contraband and 21 Jump Street.
Empire Podcast #2: March 9, 2012
For our second episode, we discuss the new Avengers Lego, MIB III and the Jameson Empire Awards nominations - plus reviews of this week's releases, including John Carter.
Empire Podcast #1: March 2, 2012
Paddy Considine talks Tyrannosaur; we talk This Means War, Project X and Wanderlust