The Empire Film Podcast

Christophere McQuarri, director of Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation, drops by the pod booth for a mammoth, far-reaching, almost-three-hour spoilerific conversation.

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.

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.

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".

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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".

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?

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.

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.

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 up to date with The Walking Dead Season 5, go and watch it all, then come right back and listen to this.

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!

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...

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!

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.

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?