The Empire Film Podcast

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...

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 Jackson Maine's signature voice. Then, because we're good like that, we decided to bring you a little bonus content, as Chris sits down in the podbooth with Empire's biggest A Star Is Born fans, Ben Travis and Editor-In-Chief, Terri White, to delve deeply into the film. Warning: there is some fairly frank discussion of mental health issues, so be aware of that. Otherwise, it's business as usual. We hope you enjoy.

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 real brush with death. Then, in the podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara, Empire Editor-in-Chief Terri White, and James Dyer to tackle a question about the 2019 movie news story they'd like to see, discuss the news stories that broke this week, from Missions Impossible to the Spider-Man: Far From Home trailer, and then review Glass, Mary Queen of Scots, and Beautiful Boy. And, in true Adam McKay fashion, there may be one or two LOUD NOISES. Enjoy.

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, and more. It's a ruddy blast. Then, back in the podbooth, Chris is joined by pod-regulars Helen O'Hara and James Dyer, and new producer Jane, for an episode that features some tweaks we hope you'll like, and a huge dollop of the usual film-related fun as they discuss mobile phones in cinemas, the week's movie news, and review the big releases, including Colette and The Front Runner. Enjoy.

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 Carell, have a lovely chat about that film and more, and our Olly Richards was on hand to witness it and occasionally interject. Do please enjoy this podcast, brought to you in association with Adam Sandler's Pixels. Apparently. Happy New Year!

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 wang on relentlessly about Avengers: Infinity War. So join them for 90 minutes of occasionally sweary film-related fun, and see in 2019 in style. Happy New Year, listeners - thanks for making this the best year yet for the pod.

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. Trip a little light fantastic with us, why don't you? Then, Chris is joined by Ben Wheatley, director of Happy New Year, Colin Burstead, for a fun, slightly demob-happy chat. And in the podbooth, with everyone else off for Christmas, Chris is joined for the main pod by one colleague of such lethal cunning: birthday boy, James Dyer. Together, they preview 2019, review some films, discuss some movie news, and somehow manage not to set the whole thing on fire. Merry Christmas, listeners!

"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. Elsewhere, we can't get rid of Peter Jackson. Not content with his own special a few weeks ago, he's back, with writer Philippa Boyens, to talk with Ben Travis about that movie wot he produced, Mortal Engines. Meanwhile, back in the podbooth, Chris is joined by Ben, Helen O'Hara and James Dyer to talk meringue wreaths, hedgehogs on steroids, the odd bit of film news, and cast their eyes over Roma, Aquaman, and Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse. Enjoy.

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 just what in the name of all that is holy happened to Steve Rogers' beard? In case you hadn't already guessed, this is a deep dive into the trailer, and not for the fainthearted or MCU sceptics. For everyone else, listening to this is as easy as clicking your fingers. Enjoy.

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 journey to completion, how it wound up on Netflix, and what Serkis took from the great directors with whom he's worked. Then, in the podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer to answer a question about Christmas presents, discuss the week's movie news (no Avengers, natch), and review the likes of Sorry To Bother You and The Old Man And The Gun. It's bangily-banging.

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 one of the most distinctive and original voices working today. And when he came into London recently to deliver a lecture on screenwriting at BAFTA, Chris Hewitt jumped at the chance to sit down with the great man and get granular on his screenplay form. How did he get started? What is his technique? How does he find writing alone? The answers to all these questions, and more, lie within. So pop on a paper hat, light the candles on the cake, and enjoy this very special birthday bash.

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 own DP, the 1970 World Cup, and how Guillermo del Toro convinced him to give Potter a try. Then, in the podbooth, Chris Hewitt is joined by Helen O'Hara, Nick de Semlyen and professional joke ruiner James Dyer to answer a listener's question about kids TV shows, tackle the week's movie news, plug the heck out of the new issue of Empire, and review Ralph Breaks The Internet and Creed II. Oh, and eat some Twiglets.

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 Christmas Chronicles. It makes sense - a man with a beard like that just had to play Santa one day. In this very special interview, Chris Hewitt sits down with Russell to talk about playing Santa, and his wider career, with particular emphasis on the works of one John Carpenter. Enjoy. The Christmas Chronicles is out now on Netflix.

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 lamentations of the women, before settling on the empirical (or Empirical) top ten Schwarzenegger movies. Now that's Arn-tertainment.

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 - enough Die Hard knowledge to shake the Nakatomi Plaza to its foundations, along with a host of terrible Alan Rickman impressions. And if that whets your whistle, you can watch Die Hard exclusively on Sky Cinema from December 1. Welcome to the party, pal!

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 William Goldman, review The Christmas Chronicles, Robin Hood, and The Girl In The Spider's Web, and answer a listener's question. Oh, and they get to answer a few questions of their own as a very special mystery guest drops in all the way from his HQ.

"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, during which the man who once played John Lennon claims he can't play a musical instrument. Didn't stop Ringo, Aaron. Back in the podbooth, Chris and Helen are joined by James Dyer to answer a question about Clint Eastwood, pay tribute to the late Stan Lee in a special section, and review Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald and Luca Guadagnino's Suspiria. Trust us - there's nary a wasted minute.

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 - and perhaps it will be for Wildlife, in which she is magnificent as a wife and mother who begins to rediscover her more carefree side, which alters her relationship with her teenage son. The movie opened here in the UK on Friday, so we thought it was the perfect time to bring you this small but perfectly formed interview, conducted by our John Nugent, which is perfect for your commute.

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, Chris Hewitt is joined by Helen and Ben Travis for a jam-packed edition in which they discuss the films of the newly-minted Dame Emma Thompson, tackle the week's news including a spoilerific look at developments in The Walking Dead (00:37:31 - 00:42:49), and review seemingly EVERY FILM EVER MADE, including Steve McQueen's Widows and Peter Jackson's They Shall Not Grow Old. Have at it!

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 a wide array of topics including the name of their new company, Stolen Picture, the rigours of producing movies, and who they'd like to see on the face of the new £50 note. The answer will shock you. Meanwhile, back in the podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara, fresh off another marathon, and Nick de Semlyen, to go over the week's movie news; review Peterloo and The Nutcracker And The Four Realms; and answer a question about remakes.

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 quality on the Cosmatos interview isn't what we would ideally want, but it's worth listening to. Then, in the podbooth it's tears all round as Chris, Helen O'Hara and John Nugent are joined by Empire's outgoing Art Editor, Olly Gibbs, for his first and last appearance on the pod. Olly fields listener questions in his Empire exit interview, helps the team dissect the week's movie news and review Bohemian Rhapsody and Matthew Holness' Possum, and is serenaded by our surprise guest, Randy Newman

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 about his new film, submarine thriller Hunter Killer, and ends up talking about how Novak Djokovic is perhaps the only person on Earth who can get him to yell, "THIS! IS! SPARTA!" Back in the booth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and Dan Jolin for a freewheeling episode in which they talk about classic modern comedies, eviscerate Cats the musical, drop in the odd history lesson, and get the reviews and news sections back-to-front. Oh, and Bob Dylan pops by for a rendition of the pod

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 get geeky about Jackson's early, gory films like Meet The Feebles and Bad Taste. If you're looking for Lord Of The Rings chat, you might find that another time. But if you're looking to hear a master craftsman talk about his master craft for half an hour, you've come to the right place. Enjoy, you fools!

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 1969. [01:05:46 - 01:27:25] Back in the podbooth, it's a two-person job as Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara to answer a bunch of listener questions, tackle the week's movie news (James Gunn causing tongues to wag), review Bad Times At The El Royale, 22 July, and First Man, sing Memories, and talk at length about Chris' metallic abs. OK, so maybe the Empire Podcast doesn't get completely serious this week...

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. The podcast proper, which also sees a dwindling podteam review A Star Is Born and Venom, begins at 00:43:23, in case Wagon Wheels aren't your jam. Even the jammy ones. Then, Chris talks to Henry Thomas, former child actor (he was in some film about an extra-terrestrial, we think) turned star of Mike Flanagan's terrifying Netflix series, The Haunting Of Hill House, and a good time was had by both. We hope you'll join us. AND NEVER LEAVE. (01:39:35 - 01:57:52)

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: which Hogwarts house would they belong to? And that's magic. You'll like it. Not a lot, but you'll like it.

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. Oh, and Chris tries to bolster his IMDb credits, but to no avail. Meanwhile, in the podbooth, that Hewitt fella is joined by Helen O'Hara, Ben Travis, and James Dyer for a fun episode in which they discuss aquatic creatures, the Captain Marvel trailer, Bond 25, review the week's releases, tackle de-ageing in Hollywood, and Helen tells the world's most convoluted joke. Enjoy!

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 Rich Asians, The Predator, and King Of Thieves. And any budding filmmakers should listen to Nev talk about how he is forging a career as a director. Then, Chris talks to Crazy Rich Asians star Constance Wu, and King Of Thieves duo Michael Caine and Ray Winstone about a wide range of subjects. Includes: Chris trying, and failing, to pluck up the courage to do a Michael Caine impression in front of Actual Michael Caine, and the single greatest name drop in Empire Podcast history. Enjoy.

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 White discuss the week's movie news, get very silly about the battle of the Chrises, play Empire Podcast Bingo with the audience, try to pay sincere tribute to the late, great Burt Reynolds, review the week's releases, including American Animals and Final Score, and take audience questions. Oh, and Corin Hardy - director of The Nun - pops by for a chat with Chris, and he brings a very spooky special guest with him. Enjoy the show, and do please accept our apologies in advance.

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 genuinely argue and bicker with each other. Features more James Dyer condescension than had been previously thought possible. And, at the end, we list the empirical Star Trek top 10. It may shock you. (It won't.)

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 screen, his feelings on technology, and the comparisons between his film and the upcoming Venom. He's also very, very funny, deploying a number of impressions, including a Steve Buscemi so good we're expecting him to be cast in an Adam Sandler comedy any day now. Oh, and while this isn't an Upgrade spoiler special, you might want to see that film before listening to this in case we give anything away. Enjoy.

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 new movie, football-based thriller Final Score, and introduces him (figuratively, not literally) to Trent Alexander-Arnold. And last but not least, Chris and Nick de Semlyen natter to American Animals director Bart Layton and his star, Irish actor Barry Keoghan. [01:08:14 - 01:28:35] Meanwhile, in the podbooth, Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer to 'answer' a listener's question, dissect the week's movie news, and review Upgrade and Cold War. Jammy gits.

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 Empire Podcast history. Elsewhere, Chris talks to Guy Pearce, star of the new Netflix show, The Innocents, and they get quite specific about accents, and wax lyrical about L.A. Confidential. Rollo Tomasi would be so proud.

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 awful impressions, and asking the big questions: what do those buttons on Darth Vader's chest do? Is Qui-Gon Jinn the worst Jedi of all time? And just who the hell is Cad Bane? And don't forget - to read all about it, once you've listened to this, the current issue of Empire is on sale now, in all good and evil newsagents. May the Schwartz be with you.

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. That starts at 00:39:54 and runs to 01:12:22. Then, Chris is joined in the regular-regular podbooth by James Dyer and Nick de Semlyen for a frankly chaotic podcast that sees them review The Equalizer 2 and Christopher Robin, tackle a listener's question about ageing action heroes (with the emphasis heavily on tackle), and discuss the week's movie news. Oh, and crowbar in more terrible impressions per second than any previous Empire Podcast. Enjoy...?

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. Back in the podbooth, Helen O'Hara slides effortlessly into the host's chair and, along with James Dyer, Dan Jolin and Ben Travis, tackles a listener question about movie first aid techniques, dissects the week's movie news, including a very unpopular Oscars announcement, and reviews The Meg. We're gonna need a bigger pod.

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 listener's question. But there will also be daft impressions, much giggling, and Chris gets his innuendo-o-meter out and tries to get to grips with it. Elsewhere, due to an unfortunate last-minute guest cancellation, we decided instead to bring you an early preview of next week's second part of our epic Mission: Impossible - Fallout spoiler special with director Christopher McQuarrie. This one's just a mere 15 minutes. Next week will be... longer than that. Enjoy!

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.

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 creator of Trevor Slattery, pops in to talk about his directorial debut, the all-star thriller, Hotel Artemis. It's an epic chat with Chris Hewitt that starts at 1:01:51 and runs all the way to 1:41:07. Either side of that, Chris is joined in the booth by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer to ramble on about the week's news, review Hotel Artemis and Mamma Mia! 2, and answer a question from BB-8 himself, Brian Herring. Enjoy!

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 Hollywood system. He's chatting to Ben Travis, and that runs from 01:11:31 to 01:34:16. Back in the podbooth, Chris is then joined by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer for the usual rambling dissection of the week's movie news (Joker alert!), plus reviews of both Bird and Hawke's films. They also discuss James' recent conversion to football, talk about the most beautiful places that they've seen films, and reveal the terrifying creation that is... RoboPod. Part human. Part podcast host. All cretin.

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 ever-cunning Helen O'Hara and Nick De Semlyen.

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 reviews with help from Ben Travis and Nick De Semlyen.

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 proposed 'fan' remake of The Last Jedi, kick around the week's movie news, and review Freak Show and In The Fade. So, sit back, relax and enjoy this belated podcast (we delayed it because the Benicio Del Toro interview didn't happen until this Saturday afternoon), which may be the first one in our history to feature someone in Los Angeles linking to themselves in London. All will be revealed...

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 argue the toss about Alien, deploy controversial theories vis a vis Kingdom Of Heaven and Gladiator, talk about going clubbing with Russell Crowe, and much, much more, including the world's worst - and, let's face it, possibly only - impression of the man we love to call Ridders. Don't think of this as a late episode. Think of it as a director's cut, and a director's cut arrives precisely when it means to.

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 joined by Nick de Semlyen and Jonny Pile for an even-more-rambling-than-usual discussion that takes in the worst movie dinosaurs, a brief cameo from a geek queen, an exploding banana, reviews of Hereditary and Ocean's 8, a shameless plug for the new issue of Empire, a live watch-along of the trailer for Corin Hardy's The Nun, and an episode of R U Talkin' R U Talkin' R U Talkin' R.E.M. Re: Me Re: Me Re: Me? Good ep? Great ep.

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 podbooth with Helen O'Hara and Jonny Pile for a fun episode that takes in their views of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, runs the roost over the 292 trailers that debuted last week, and takes on a serious hue for this week's listener question, tackling the harassment which appears to have driven Kelly Marie Tran away from social media. Oh, and all that, plus the debut of a brand-new podcast, R U Talkin' R U Talkin' R.E.M. Re: Me Re: Me? We spoil you lot.

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, along with Helen O'Hara, Nick de Semlyen and a late-comer in James Dyer, they dissect the week's movie news, including Sonic The Hedgehog, Top Gun 2, and Solo's box office, cast their eyes over new releases, and 'answer' a question from a listener. Siri says 'enjoy'.

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 Shawkat (call her Maeby) popped by the studio to talk Arrested Development Season 5, disguises, that Twin Peaks cameo, and a secret celebrity tennis club. Back in the main studio, Helen is joined by James and Ben to talk this week's movie news - from John Wick 3's latest cast additions (Derek from The Good Place!), to Damon Lindelof's biblical Watchmen statement - and review The Breadwinner, Edie, and some Star Wars story featuring a classic character in a solo adventure. No idea what that o

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 sit in a room with Chris Hewitt, Helen O'Hara, and James Dyer and discuss the week's movie news, talk about her work on Safe, endure yet another Peter Dinklage in Infinity War impression, and tackle the big question: have you ever walked out of a film? Her answers will shock you. And amuse you. Mainly amuse you. So sit back, relax, and enjoy as three giggling idiots welcome a professional into their ranks to show them how it's done.

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 Chris stays in the podbooth to interview Eddie Marsan, star of Entebbe and Deadpool 2, about his long path to success, and makes him take a new version of an interview Eddie gave to Empire 20 years ago. The main pod, meanwhile, sees Chris, Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and Nick de Semlyen talk geeky ringtones, discuss the week's movie news, review new releases including Revenge. And Paul Giamatti drops by unexpectedly. What larks!